Posted by At the Ogbogoro Oil Field, Brass Area, and Ekeni Area of Southern-Ijaw, Bayelsa State, forty people have been arrested and two vessels have been recovered by the Nigeria Police Force, Tantita Security Services, the military, and other pertinent security agencies.
ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the force’s public relations officer, stated in a statement released on Saturday that the suspects were detained and are now being investigated after a prima facie case was made against them.
He said that they would appear in court to answer to accusations of oil theft and economic sabotage.
The vessels utilized in the illicit activities have been seized, according to Adejobi, and this serves as additional proof against the offenders.
“The Nigeria Police Force has been in active liaison on intelligence sharing and collaboration with Private Security Contractors (PSCs) engaged by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), particularly Tantita Security Services, as part of its intensified efforts to curb illegal oil theft and economic sabotage in the country and in conjunction with the military and other relevant security agencies,” the statement reads.
In two separate interceptions at the Ogbogoro Oil Field, Brass Area, and Ekeni Area of Southern-Ijaw in Bayelsa State, the efforts resulted in the arrest of forty (40) suspected individuals and the recovery of two (2) vessels for a variety of offenses, including conspiracy, tampering with oil pipelines, illegal crude oil transportation, dealing in crude and storing it without the proper authorization or license, among others.
In particular, the request for the temporary forfeiture of the vessel and its contents is set to be heard on February 19, 2024, and the arraignment of suspects in connection with one of the vessels is slated for February 26, 2024.
Adejobi emphasized that many people and businesses have been charged based on preliminary investigations, including their overseas partners, who will eventually be subject to questioning and the full force of the law.