Commodore Nanmar Lakan, Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH (NNS), said the command arrested two persons for crude oil theft and seized a wooden boat laden with 12,000 litres of diesel.

Mr Lakan disclosed on Friday that the suspects were arrested at Okariki waterfront in the Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers.

He explained that the arrest was made in line with the mandate of Operation Delta Sanity, which includes anti-crude oil theft, anti-pipeline vandalism, and anti-illegal refining sites, among others.

“Working with intelligence gathering from the good citizens of this country, we received credible information that some people want to move illegally refined AGO, popularly known as diesel, from the Okarki River.

“We dispatched our men there, and they arrested two suspects. The quantity of the AGO is estimated to be 12,000 litres refined illegally,” he said.

He urged those involved in illegality to desist and look for a better way of livelihood, as such illegal business was harmful to society and the nation at large.

Mr Lakan said, “The nation is losing a lot economically, so I advise them to stop. If not, we are determined to rid the entire area of this illegal business.”

He appealed to members of the public and lawful citizens to give relevant information to security agencies, particularly the NNS SOROH so that they could carry out their tasks.

The commander said the suspects and the products would be handed over to the appropriate security agency because there was a standing procedure for handling such issues.

He expressed the navy’s commitment to rid the waterways of criminals and urged those involved in illegal oil bunkering to desist or face the wrath of the law.

Speaking to journalists, one of the suspects, Clement Fimeya, said he was doing it to feed his four children because of a lack of job opportunities.

He pleaded for forgiveness and promised never to indulge in such illegality if the appropriate security agency granted him a pardon.

(NAN)