Nine (9) suspected oil thieves were on Friday handed over to the Port Harcourt Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Joint Military Task Force, Operation Delta safe.
The suspects, Felix Eboh; Ovie Idisi; Bob Davies; Ojo Sunday; Oluwale Olaitan; Orok Oyo; Godwin Okpaje, Francis Chinbo and Olanioyi Goodness, were handed over to EFCC alongside a vessel, christened MT Morris.
According to representative of Sector Three of the Joint Military Task Force, Colonel N.C.E Ejike, who led the handing over, the suspects and the vessel were arrested by officers of 29 Battalion, Nigeria Army, deployed for anti-bunkering operations at Bile in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Ejike said the suspects were arrested while siphoning petroleum products suspected to be crude oil from a pipeline.
Receiving the suspects and exhibits, the representative of the Head of the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the EFCC and Head Extractive Industry Fraud Section, Ani Davis Stanley, thanked the officers and men of the Joint Task Force for their efforts and commitment towards combating illegal oil bunkering activities and safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain. He promised that the EFCC will utilize the power vested in it to ensure that justice is served.
“The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded,” Dele Oyewale, EFCC Spokesman said.
