An oil-laden vessel with no documentation or approvals was arrested on the creeks of the Delta by operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta.
Nigeria News today stated that on Tuesday, the seized vessel was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Division by the Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Chindo Yahaya, for detailed investigation and further necessary action.
Yahaya, represented by the Base Operations Officer, NNS Delta, Navy Commander Samuel Musa, formally handed over the arrested vessel, TUG MV STEPH I, to officials of the anti-graft agency led by Assistant Commander II, EFCC Benin Zonal Command, Gomina Francis, on Tuesday.
Briefing journalists, the Navy disclosed that the vessel was arrested on July 6, 2023, at KFT Yard Edjeba, along the NPA Expressway in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, as it was “discharging product suspected to be AGO into some rubber tanks without necessary documentation and approvals.
“Thus, the vessel was detained and taken to the NNS Delta. Accordingly, TUG MV STEPH 1 is hereby handed over to the EFCC for detailed investigation and further necessary action.”
In the same vein, a barge SIMI, laden with about 120,000 liters of product suspected to be AGO, arrested by NNS DELTA operatives on July 6 at Workson Jetty Edjeba, along the NPA Expressway in Warri South LGA, was also handed over to the EFCC on Tuesday.
The Navy told journalists that “the barge was without the necessary documentation and approvals.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the product was an accumulation of remnants onboard (ROB) from various vessels”.
Consequently, Barge Simi was handed over to the EFCC for a detailed investigation and further necessary action.
The Navy, while noting that the NNS-Delta remained poised to rid its area of operation of illegal activities, declared that the incidents should serve as warnings to those who have intentions of conducting the same to desist from it.