Police Arrest 4, Impound Oil-laden Barge

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested four suspects for illegal bunkering and illegal refining of oil products.

While commending the IGP Task Force on the interception of a seagoing 12-compartments barge known as “Rainbow-I” with Registration No. 8765432 laden with about 350,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) reasonably suspected to be illegally refined, the inspector-general of police, IGP Usman Baba warned that there would be severe sanctions for criminal elements who engage in these activities.

The inspector-general of police (IGP) also warned all economic saboteurs to cease forthwith or the long arm of the law will catch up with them.

The IGP equally tasked personnel of the IGP-STFPIB to be steadfast in discharging their responsibilities.

He equally charged members of special teams set up to monitor, investigate, apprehend and prosecute purveyors of these crimes to renew their offensive against crimes and criminality, and professionally shun all manner of corruption so that offenders would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The suspects were arrested by the inspector-general of police Special Task Force on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering (IGP-STFPIB) on 10th June, 2022 at Slaughter Area of Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt.

Force PRO, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said preliminary investigations as well as analysis carried out on the samples by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority based in Port Harcourt, confirm that the product is adulterated, and therefore unfit for sale to the public.

All the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.