No fewer than 31 vessels, four barges and canoes allegedly involved in illegal bunkering and vandalisation of oil pipe-lines have been arrested by the Nigerian Navy.
Briefing newsmen yesterday in Lagos, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Western Naval Command, Musa Ajada disclosed that the cases are at various stages of prosecution in the law court.
He said that those arrested in connection with the barges and canoes have been handed over to the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He explained that some of the vessels are berthed at the defence jetty while one is being held at mid stream at the commando’s jetty.
Some of the arrested vessels include MT Copperton, MT Mowat, MT Bettitude, MT Fortune and MT Destiny.
Other vessels according to him are being held across the country in places like Warri since the past two years. Speaking further on the issue, Captain George Ally who conducted newsmen round the seized vessels, barges and canoes said that seven ship were arrested in the Lagos area.
He added that the petroleum products found on the canoes and barges have since been evacuated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
According to him, some of the canoes were carrying huge surface tanks which could be used to load 33,000 litres of petroleum products into nine trailers.
Captain George Ally stressed that all the canoes were used to harvest petroleum products from the NNPC pipeline.
Meanwhile, the Navy has denied arresting any of its senior officers in connection with the missing bunkering ship MT African Pride saying that the proposed court martial scheduled to take place yesterday has been postponed indefinitely.
Musa Ajada, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command who disclosed this while briefing new-smen at the Naval base Apapa, Lagos, yesterday, also denied that the Nigerian Navy has relieved any senior officer from duty.
According to him, the issue of the missing MT Afri-can Pride is still under question.
“Nobody has been arrested, after officers have been invited they would come and we (Navy) shall invite members of the press to the inaugural sitting but we cannot tell you the date now, logistics is in place and we are working on this,” FOC Musa Ajada said.
It was gathered that the court martial exercise which should have started a week ago was delayed due to logistic problem.
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