The Corps Commandant, Mr. Abafi Gabriel, made this disclosure while parading 23 people arrested for their involvement in oil theft on the high sea. He said that the suspects were arrested in January by naval officers while on the high sea and handed over to NSCDC.
He noted that the arrest was in two batches.
The set of people to be arrested were six. They were found in possession of 45 drums of oil product. The second set were 17 persons comprising three Ghanaians, three Togolese and 11 Nigerians found with two trailers loaded with same product.
Gabriel said: “The Navy works in synergy with NSCDC. Whenever these vandals are caught, they hand them over to us because the law mandates NSCDC to arrest pipeline vandals. These vandals go to the extent of putting oil inside a leather bag and lump them inside bags of before they are transported to Nigeria through the high sea on a canoe.”
Mr. Austine Adukwe 37, alleged to be a leader of one of the arrested groups, denied the allegation, adding that he was just was a flying boat driver. He said that he used to pick and drop people from one end of the sea shore to the other.
Adukwe said: “We used to get calls from people in Isolo who gives us Premium Motor Spirit in exchange for food items like rice, tomatoes and fish. I’m not in the act of doing anything illegal. I was arrested around 2am after naval officers saw me with some food items. They falsely accused me after much interrogation. Whoever said he saw me in the act of stealing oil should come and say it! I didn’t even go to the pipeline area on that day,” he said.
He also denied knowing other suspects that were arrested with him. He said that aside from Nigerians, people from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast do business on the high sea.
Mr. Ehimusan Irede, another suspect, said he is a businessman, adding: “I buy and sell oil. I was arrested by the navy officers sometimes in January when I went to buy oil from whites who works on the high sea. Security agents have refused to arrest people who steal bigger things and commit crimes in Nigeria. They have rather chosen to deal with poor people like me. I’m not guilty of the offence I’ve been accused of. I only buy my goods. I didn’t kill or steal anything.”
Mr. Felix Oluwanishola 44, on his part said: “I went to buy Kerosene on the high sea when I was arrested by the navy. I work as an agent for anybody who wants to buy any food stuffs. We collect oil from them and then go to the market to exchange it for food and give to them. I usually buy 50ltr of the oil at the rate of N3000 and then sale for N4000 to road side buyers or some business owners.
“The profit is not much but it’s manageable. The oil business has being my major business which I have long being into. I will like to advice other people who are into this or intend to go into such not to because in my case, I never knew it will end this way but only God knows it will and I seek for His mercies.”
Mr. Francis Olusegun 42 said: “My boys went to buy me diesel when some naval officers stopped them thinking they were carrying fuel. They called my attention to it since they weren’t ready to listen to them. When I got there to negotiate with the navy, they said they would only allow me and my boys to go if they find out that it was diesel I was carrying. I have being in this business since last year. What we usually do is to know if the product given is equivalent to the food they want.”
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