About 1.6 million litres of crude oil has been intercepted by a
seaway security outfit operating in the creeks of Ondo State. The five
vessels laden with the product was intercepted at the boundary of Edo
and Ondo states.
The oil thieves abandoned the vessels and fled following their
interception by the security outfit. They also left behind seven speed
boats, 14 speed boat engines and other instruments used for their
illegal business.
Speaking on the development, the Spokesperson of the Security outfit,
Gallery Security Service Limited, Ebi Bolos, told journalists at
Agadagba Obon in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State that the
speed boats were reportedly stolen by the fleeing oil thieves. Bolos
said: “Seven big boats arrested were filled with crude oil.
We have seven speed boats too which we impounded. We have 14 stolen
engines. We arrested them at the boundaries of Delta and Edo states.
“They were bringing them from neighbouring states. From there we
apprehend them because we won’t allow them to come to Ondo State. We
will hand them to the security agencies. Each of the big boats can
contain at least 10 tankers with 33, 000 litre capacity each.
“If the government can support us, we will do more. Financially, we are not getting the necessary support from government.
If this continues the criminal activities will stop and the country
will earn more from crude because the activities of the vandals will
stop.
“With the help of a former militant leader, Chief Bibopiri Ajube, we
were able to recover stolen engines from the suspected oil thieves. m
which they used for bunkering business, to vandalise the pipes, collect
the crude and take it to wherever they want to sell it.
“Most of the engines were stolen from our neighbouring communities.
They stole them in collaboration with some hoodlums in those
communities.
They normally run away whenever we discovered their hideouts but we use to recover their stolen items.”
Also speaking on the incident, the former militant leader, Chief
Ajube, said: “Those who engage in illegal refineries are using the
stolen engines to remove crude from the vandalised pipes.
“We have arrested a lot of them and handed them over to security
operatives. “We used to fight government in the past because there was
no progress. We dropped the guns and government carried out amnesty.
About 750 ijaws and 400 Ilajes are enjoying amnesty right now.
“Apart from this, we have 800 people that are outside the country. We
want to support government to arrest these illegal activities.
“We want the NNPC to do more for our people. The company is not assisting us. We are using our resources to fight this crime.”
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