The Nigerian Navy has arrested a ship loaded with 670 metric tonnes of product suspected to be crude oil on the Forcados River in Delta State.
The detention of the 106 meters long boat named Eyuwa was made by men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta on December 14.
The Flag Officers Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, made the disclosure while conducting reporters round the detained ship.
The Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Rahimi Muhammed, also expressed joy that the Nigerian Navy is relentlessly winning the war against criminal elements sabotaging the nation’s economy.
Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship, Beecroft, had during a routine patrol, intercepted a vessel, MT Asteris, and its crew in Lagos on March 26 while trying to export the stolen product.
They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 18 before the Federal High Court on a four count charge of conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.
In his ruling, Justice Ibrahim Buba sentenced the five Filipinos and four Bangladeshi nationals to a jail term of five years each on the four counts with an option of a five million Naira fine for each count.
The sentences were to run concurrently as the convicts could either choose to spend five years each in prison or pay the fine of 20 million Naira each.
