Hyacinth Chinweuba
A patrol team of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory has arrested four suspected smugglers with 144 drums of diesel suspected to be illegally refined.
This was disclosed by the Commander of the NNS Victory, Rear Admiral Vincent Okeke, while handing over the suspects and the seized product to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Calabar, Cross River State.
Okeke said, “On Friday, December 27, 2019, the NNS Victory team on routine patrol intercepted a wooden boat laden with 144 drums of petroleum product suspected to be illegally refined AGO around Agbana West by the Tom Shot Island Breakwaters.
“The boat crew and the impounded product were escorted to the base. Upon arrival at the jetty, a total of 144 drums of illegally refined AGO were offloaded from the boat.
“Investigations revealed that the suspected illegally refined AGO was loaded from the Bile Creek in Rivers State and the boat was destined for Cameroon before arrest.”
The estimated market value of the product was put at N15,504,000. Okeke, who was represented at the handover of the suspects by Navy Captain Mohammed Umaru, stated, “The NNS Victory is well aware of the desperation of smugglers to bring contraband into the country in this period of Christmas and New Year festivities for personal economic gain.
“This is indicated by the fact that within the last eight weeks, the base has recorded nine major arrests of contraband items worth over N236,236,000. “Expectedly, the base has intensified patrol to curb the heightened rate of smuggling or any other nefarious crimes, both on water and the adjoining land areas.”
The impounded product and the four suspects, Emma Effiong, Victor Okon and Kingsley Etim from Nigeria, and Daniel Nekoli, a Cameroonian, were handed over to the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Danladi Elisha.
He promised that after proper investigation, the suspects and the impounded product would be taken to court, which would decide what to do with them.