Illegal oil bunkering

By Ernest Chinwo

The Joint (Military) Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, has said it seized two vessels allegedly used for illegal oil bunkering off the coast of Bonny in Rivers State.

It also said it arrested 10 crew members onboard the vessels for their alleged involvement in oil theft.

Public Relations Officer, 2 Amphibious Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Major Michael Etete, said the vessels, MT Lady Theresa and MT Pecos Peters, were impounded on October 17 and 18, at a location called Light House in Bonny.

Etete said the suspects were Nigerians.

He further said that the vessels which were registered in Nigeria were seized while sucking illegally refined petroleum product from a barge in the high sea of Bonny.
Etete disclosed that at the time of arrest, the vessels were carrying 300,000 litres of a product suspected to be Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).

The army spokesman said investigations were ongoing, adding that the suspects would be handed over to the appropriate authority for prosecution.