WARRI—Commanding officer, NNS, Delta, Captain J.A. Ajani announced, yesterday, in Warri the arrest and detention of three vessels and over 15 barges for illegal bunkering by the Nigerian Navy.
He said while briefing journalists at the Naval Base in Warri on the activities of the Command in the last four years that crew members aboard the ships were already undergoing trial. But he advocated the setting up of a special court for the trial of oil bunkerers to speed up the dispensation of justice.
His words: “Between 2000 and 2004, over 15 barges were arrested for illegal bunkering. Eight of these were seized in August 2001 while the rest seven; two tug boats and four tankers were arrested in the year 2002. In line with presidential directives, some of the said barges have been destroyed after their contents had been evacuated”.
“Similarly, three ships; MT ZOOGU, MT TINA and MT GLORY are currently detained by this Base following their arrest for illegal bunkering. MT ZOOGU was arrested around Escravos on July 2003. She is anchored midstream opposite the Base still laden with her cargo of crude oil. MT TINA which is also anchored within the vicinity of ZOOGU and bears Low Poor Fuel Oil (LPFO) was arrested on April 23,2003. MT GLORY with her cargo of LPFO was arrested on April 23,2003 and is berthed at the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Warri water quays”.
He stated that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation was yet to evacuate the contents of the offending ships “hence they are still in our custody”. According to him, the Naval Base had written to the NNPC but the corporation said its large vessel would sink if it comes to the area where the ships were detained to evacuate the products.
Captain Ajani who was with the Navy spokesman, Captain Sinebo Hungi-Apuko during the briefing confessed that: “It has not been easy patrolling the large expanse of creeks in our area of responsibility coupled with the level of crises in the last few years. In other words, we are confronted with both handling of the crises on the land and patrols against illegality in our waters. We are also constrained with the platforms in our inventory in terms of number and right mix. However, we are happy that the appropriate quarters are making efforts about providing us with more patrol craft as soon as possible. I can assure you that we shall continue to do our best to protect the waterways.
Newsmen were conducted round the seized ships and barges, which the Commanding Officer said his men were guarding to forestall any ugly incidence at the time of inspection yesterday.
Captain Ajani said that NNS, Delta ““has continued to perform its statutory roles of safeguarding the waterways in this area against all forms of illegality especially bunkering, poaching and sea piracy””, adding that since he assumed office, none of his men had been caught aiding and abetting oil bunkerers.
