The operations were carried out across Lagos, Kogi, and Abia states.
Force spokesman, Don Awunah, said that the suspects were arrested in coordinated operations based on credible intelligence. Awunah said that the suspects and trucks were arrested and impounded in different locations within the country.
He said that the police arrested Ellen and MB Opuda vessels, 10 crew members and 18 tanker trucks loaded with illegally refined AGO (diesel) through illegal bunkering and vandalism of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) products.
The first 10 suspects have been identified as Tumbiri Ezekiel, a captain; Thomas Arimoro Azamosa, company’s representative; Godwil Offeh, chief mate; Alfred Iwanefun, an engineer; Emmanuel Uyoi, deckhand; Godwin Tabiti, electrician; Omokete Enengite, engineer cadet; Victor Onyenike, seaman; Suleiman Ahmadu and William Okitikpo.
Awunah said that on November 1, at about 2:20a.m., a sustained surveillance and monitoring of Ellen vessel and crew members, sailing from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states water ways to Lagos State with illegally refined AGO (diesel) on board, were swooped upon by the Inspector-General of Police’s (IGP) Task Force on illegal petroleum bunkering.
His words: “Thus on November 3, at about 8:30a.m., the Task Force trailed and intercepted Ellen Vessel at Satomen’s Jetty, located at Amuwo Odofin in Mile 2 area of Lagos State, where it had discharged the illegally refined diesel into 18 trucks, 33,000 litres each.
The vessel, crew members, the 18 trucks and other suspects were promptly arrested.” Similarly, another vessel, branded MB OPUDA SHIP was also intercepted and arrested at the same Satomen’s Jetty after discharging illegally refined diesel. He disclosed that there was another arrest of suspected vandals and recovery of two tanker trucks loaded with 20,000 litres of illegally refined AGO (diesel) each. The trucks are marked RGG 76 XA and YKS 108 XA.
The suspects are Harrison Chinedu, Mohammed Abdulkadir, Idris Bawa, Emmanuel Akighir, and Suleiman Musa.
The image maker recounted: “On October 28, 2016 at about 4p.m., operatives of the IGP’s Task Force on a tip off, stormed an illegal local refinery located at Adogu village of Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, where two trucks were intercepted, loaded with illegal AGO products 20,000 litres each. The five suspects, during interrogation admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime.”
There was also the foiling of vandalism of oil pipeline, recovery of a truck loaded with 20,000 litres of diesel and operational vehicle of the suspects. Exhibits recovered from them are one white Scania lorry with registration number RBC 552 ZS, one Toyota Pervia Bus with registration number EKY 659 BJ, four pumping machines, one big blue motor jack, two motor batteries, four shovels, one filling machine, one pumping hose and two tarpaulins.
Awunah also said: “On October 13, at about 12noon, intelligence gathered revealed that vandalism of NNPC pipeline was ongoing at Monkey village, Okpella area of Edo State.
The task force swiftly moved in. On sighting the police team, the vandals took to their heels and abandoned a lorry and some tools used for vandalism.” Similarly, some vandals were arrested in Abia and Kaduna states. The police recovered trucks loaded with illegally refined diesel. The suspect is Amechi Aduma, owner of the illegally refined product.
He was arrested in Abia. There is also Ezechi Peter, who was arrested at Obaga village, Abia State, Mamud Ibrahim, arrested in Kaduna, near the NNPC depot.
He noted that Aduma and Peter were arrested after vandalising NNPC pipelines at a point in Owaza area of Abia State and siphoning 33,000 litres of cooked diesel. The last suspect was arrested in Kaduna State for being in possession of a truck loaded with 25,000 litres of cooked diesel.
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