The Nigerian Navy has called for a concerted efforts by security agencies and critical stakeholders in the fight against illegal oil bunkering in Rivers State.
Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim, made the call while speaking during a a strategic meeting between the Navy and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Port Harcourt.
Ibrahim regretted that illegal bunkering and artisanal refining of crude oil had overtime erupted into environmental degradation, health hazards and pollution of marine life.
He maintained that the war against vandals would not be limited to arrests of suspects on the waterways alone but also extended to their sponsors and would-be buyers of such illegally obtained products.
The commander noted that with thorough investigation, the prosecuting agencies must dig deep into such cases to unravel the numerous actors behind the crime.
Ibrahim pledged his command’s maximum support to the NSCDC Rivers State Command in the areas of capacity building for effective service delivery, Intelligence gathering, joint operations and unrelenting war against pipeline vandalism in order to rid the nation’s economy of saboteurs.
Speaking during the meeting, Commandant of Rivers State Command of NSCDC, Michael Ogar said the meeting was geared towards cementing the long-term existing relationship between the NSCDC and the Nigerian Navy.
Ogar, who harped on the operational successes recorded through the collaboration between the two services, disclosing that, so far, the Legal Department of the NSCDC Rivers State Command has recorded forfeitures of 39 boats and remittances of proceeds to the Federal Government coffers consequent upon series of arrests by the Command and cases handed over to the NNS Pathfinder for prosecution.
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