Navy Warns Illegal Oil Bunkerers, Pirates

The newly deployed Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Olushola Oluwagbire, has warned illegal crude oil bunkerers, sea pirates and other criminal elements to stay clear of the command’s area of responsibility (AOR) or risk being arrested and prosecuted.

Oluwagbire gave the warning yesterday while speaking to newsmen during a familiarisation visit to the Nigerian Naval Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.

The flag officer inspected some ongoing projects being executed under the Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim.

He said: “The only word I have for criminal elements who have remained unrepentant is that they should stay out of the Eastern Naval Command’s area of responsibility because we are going to look for them.

“We are going to smoke them out and we are going to prosecute them.”

Oluwagbire stated that under his leadership, the Eastern Naval Command would do all it can to ensure that the mandate given to the command by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Jubril Gambo, is fulfilled.

He lauded the commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim, for his efforts to provide a conducive working environment for personnel of the Nigerian Navy.

He said: “With what I have seen here today, I am simply impressed by the efforts the commander of NNS Pathfinder has put in place and I can only wish him well.”