JTF arrests 21 suspected oil thieves

Operatives of the Joint Task Force, JTF, has again arrested 21 suspected oil thieves in the creeks located in Bayelsa and Delta States in the Niger Delta.

The suspects, who were arrested between April 7 and 14, are still being interrogated at various JTF sectors and would be handed over to the prosecuting agencies at the end of the investigations.

This was revealed in a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu. He said the security agency also impounded a vessel christened Sea Express laden with 2, 500 metric tonnes of stolen petroleum product along Okuboto creek in Bayelsa State.

“The vessel was on the verge of filling the fourth of its compartments before it was intercepted by a team of operatives from Sector 2 of the JTF. The suspects and the vessel are in custody of Sector 2 headquarters for preliminary investigations before they will be handed over to a prosecuting agency

. “In the same vein, a barge christened MONOVO-2 engaged in oil theft activities has been impounded along Golubo creek of Bayelsa State while conveying stolen petroleum product. The crew on board the barge fled into the mangrove on sighting operatives of the JTF ,abandoning their barge.”

According to Nwachukwu, the barge had been towed to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, Brass Terminal for safe custody, noting that preliminary investigation was ongoing to unmask the owners of the vessel.

His words: “In another anti-oil theft raid operation in Delta State by troops of the JTF, 30 open boats conveying illegally refined petroleum products were intercepted along Aruton and Ugborodo communities in Delta State. The boats were arrested while loaded with plastic tanks filled with stolen petroleum product.”

The JTF spokesman revealed that its men also recovered other items including 11 hand gloves, one packet of electrode, a bunch of clips and two pumping machines.

Nwachukwu said eight illegal crude refinery camps were destroyed along Oboro, Kpukpugbene in Burutu and Sagara, near Escravos in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.