The militants allegedly snatched N1 million cash
from a telecoms staff.
Gunmen on Saturday invaded Zion community of
Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, shooting
sporadically, the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger
Delta said.
The Commander of the JTF, Emmanuel Atewe, said
on Saturday that the force got reports that the
armed militants were from Ekene community in the
same local government.
“The hoodlums harassed, extorted money and
consumable items from their victims before
escaping,” Mr. Atewe, a Major General, said. “The
same gang also intercepted and diverted two
passenger boats and abducted passengers on
board.”
The soldier said one of the passengers on the boat
included a technician working with a
communication company, who was on assignment
to effect repairs on a faulty community
communication mast.
“The gang also carted away the sum of N1 million
from the staff of the company,” he said.
Mr. Atewe said his troops are currently on the trail
of the criminals.
He said the JTF would deal decisively with vessels
and any vehicle deployed in transporting stolen
crude or involved in illegal bunkering. He also
warned owners of vessels, barges, and tankers
used for illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger
Delta to withdraw such services from oil thieves.
The Commander threatened to henceforth blow up
any vessel involved in oil bunkering in the area.
He accused vessel and truck owners of renting
them to oil thieves who use them to siphon and
convey stolen crude oil within Niger Delta.
He noted that the measures became imminent as oil
thieves often abandoned such rented vessels to
evade arrest on sighting JTF troops; while the
owners of the vessels come to claim them feigning
ignorance of the illicit trade.
“The command is committed to the protection of oil
platforms against oil thieves which is in line with its
mandate,” the general said. “I therefore wish to
reiterate that vessel owners should always verify
the intentions of the oil bunkerers before hiring
them out their vessels to them.”
He also said the JTF has handed over 3 suspects
and a truck arrested for illegal oil bunkering to the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
for prosecution.
According to the commander, the suspects were
arrested on June 15 by troops of the command at
Ogale Eleme in Rivers State in a Mack truck with
registration number XX 939 AGL.
The truck was laden with 45,000 liters of suspected
stolen Automated Gas Oil, AGO, from a vandalised
NNPC pipeline.
He said two people were also arrested for
attempting to bribe officials with N200,000 to
facilitate the release of the truck and suspects.
The two suspects have also been handed over to
the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
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