Nigerian Navy has intercepted two Sea Going Cotonou boats with 10 crew members, carrying 195 metric tonnes of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Commanding officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta (NNS Delta), Commodore Raimi Mohammed, who addressed reporters at the base’s headquarter in Warri, Delta State, restated the position of the Central Naval Command to rid the maritime environment of oil vandals, kidnapping and other nefarious activities.
Commodore Mohammed also debunked allegations of a Joint Task Force ban on the use of 200 horse power engine boats by individuals.
The NNS Delta also arrested a suspected kidnapper at the Ndoro camp in Bayelsa State.
Commodore Mohammed said: “The patrol team of NNS Delta on April 23 arrested the boats at Forcados entrance going to sea with product totalling over 150 metric tonnes suspected to be illegally refined AGO”.
On the increase in kidnap cases, he also expressed worries that persons previously involved in crude oil theft and other illegal oil activities had switched over to kidnapping.
“Because they are feeling the heat of our patrol and operations, they are abandoning it and going to something else,” he stated.
He told Channels Television that the Navy had started operations against hijackers and had intensified patrols in areas of operations to tackle oil pipeline vandals in line with the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff.
