Operatives of the
Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code named Operation Pulo Shield have
arrested two Britons and 12 Nigerian technicians over their alleged involvement
in illegal bunkering along the Chanomi Creek in the western delta.
The suspects were
said to have offered the operatives of
the JTF the sum of N11,000,000.00 to
create safe passage for them to siphon crude oil into their barges from a Shell
Petroleum Development Company pipeline along the Chanomi creek in Delta
State. But the offer was rejected.
The arrested
Britons and Nigerians by the JTF for illegal bunkering
The two Britons
identified are Messrs Piers Eastwood and Vincent Haywood attached to a United
Kingdom based maritime security firm with regional branch in Lagos, according
to the JTF, were to provide security/consultancy to MT Crete, a vessel believed
to have positioned at Brass open waters for supposed illegal bunkering.
Trouble, it was
learnt, started for the suspects when on March 17, a representative of a firm
(name withheld) approached the JTF
Headquarters, with an approval letter from the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta
and an authorization from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC
through the Naval Headquarters.
The approval,Vanguard
learnt, was to evacuate products from an arrested vessel under the custody of
the NN at NNS DELTA between 12 March -14 April 2014.
The Joint Task
Force approval was reportedly issued and immediately, the headquarters directed
Sector 1 of the special security outfit to monitor their activities in the
waterways.
Speaking to
newsmen yesterday at the headquarters of
the JTF in Yenagoa where the suspects were paraded, the commander of the
outfit, Major General Emmanuel Atewe who was represented by the Media Coordinator, JMCC Col Onyema Nwachukwu said they were arrested by
operatives of the task force as part of ongoing effort to combat the menace of
crude oil theft and other sundry crimes in the region.
According to him, “the Operations officer of 3 Battalion
discovered through their confession that their intention was to hack into one
of SPDC pipelines in Chanomi creek, Warri Delta State and siphon crude oil.
”They gave him as an initial payment, a
bribe of $5,000 for recharge card and $1500 to fuel a gunboat that will escort
the stolen crude oil.”
According to him,
they requested the Operations Officer of 3 Battalion to facilitate a meeting
with the Commander 4 Brigade, Brig Gen Fidelis Azinta.
Continuing he
said, “the meeting was convened as a bait on March
20, 2014 at the Brigade Commander’s office.
During the meeting, the suspects expressed their desire to connect a hose to
SPDC pipeline along the Chanomi creek in Delta State so as to illegally siphon
crude oil into barges.
”While in the Brigade Commander’s office, they promised to bribe the
Brigade’s Commander, with the sum of N20m as well
as take care of the officers and soldiers along the Chanomi creek.
”On 21 March 2014, one of the suspects brought to the
Brigade Commander N10m being 50 per cent
of the N20m promised. The suspects were immediately arrested for attempting to
bribe the Brigade Commander for economic sabotage.
”Twelve technicians who were to connect the
hoses to facilitate the theft and their implements were also arrested.”
He added that a
follow up operation subsequently led to the arrest of two Britons, who were in
company of seven Nigeria policemen led by an inspector.
The two Britons,
according to the JTF commander were security consultants from a United Kingdom-
based port maritime security firm with regional branch in Lagos.
”The two flew into Lagos on 20 March and
left for Port Harcourt same day where they met with a Nigerian (one Bello) who
was supposed to be their point of contact. The two Britons were to provide
security escort/consultancy to MT Crete, a vessel believed to have been positioned
at Brass open waters for suspected illegal oil bunkering”.
Gen Awete revealed
that all the suspects and exhibits were transferred to JTF headquarters on
March 23 for further investigation adding that a joint investigation team was
immediately constituted to carry out a preliminary investigation where all the
suspects and witnesses were invited and also examined the exhibits, documents
and equipment recovered.
This include, the
sixty thousand dollars offered to Brig Gen Azinta, the six thousand five
hundred dollars offered to Capt M Abdullahi which were displayed to newsmen.
The suspects were
later handed over to the Department of State Security for prosecution.
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