Daily Champion (Lagos)
Dennis Naku
2 November 2009
Yenagoa — JOINT Military Task Force (JTF) code-named Operation Restore Hope in Niger Delta has intercepted 25,000 litres of crude oil valued at millions of naira along the Ekeremor/Southern Ijaw creeks of Bayelsa state.
This is as four persons suspected to be involved in illegal bunkering were paraded before newsmen, in Yenagoa, the state capital, although they pleaded innocent, saying they were only hired as boat drivers by the operatives who are now on the run.
The Commanding Officer, 102 JTF battalion, in Bayelsa State, Lt. Col. Anthony Lega Odey in a news briefing on Wednesday described the act as economic sabotage, adding that the stolen crude oil was intercepted at different locations across the coastal state.
Lt. Col. Odey gave the names of the suspects as Jebina Itula, (35), Ebiakpor Felix, (24), Mathew Gabis, (19) and Inamokei Jordan were allegedly caught after successfully opening the heads of oil wells belonging to multi national oil companies and loaded the content in 100 drums with capacities of 250 litres each. However, the suspects pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In his breakdown, the Commanding Officer said the items recovered from the suspects include, 100 drums of crude oil, eight wooden boats and two Yamaha 75 horse power boat engines which powers the boat, adding that the stolen content was intercepted at Clove creek, Beneside in Southern Ijaw and Tunu in Ekeremor local government area of the state respectively.
While condemning the act, the Commander, Sector 2, of the JTF, Colonel Victor Ezeugwu flayed the activities of the oil bunkerers in the oil and gas rich, but impoverished Niger Delta, stating with emphasis that the nation has lost enormous amount of money to such illegal activities.
He stated that now that the various militant groups in the region have accepted amnesty as granted by the Federal Government, other set of people are now seeing oil theft as means of survival, but noted that the JTF is containing the situation.
Colonel Ezugwu said the identities of the sponsor of the suspected bunkerers would soon be made public; after investigations have been completed.
"We have talked to the community leaders in various oil locations in the state to desist from oil theft, else we will clamp down on them. People should go into legitimate business, not illegal business as a means of survival.'
Colonel Ezugwu said illegal bunkering is one of such economic activities that is seriously being tackled, adding that oil pipeline vandalisation, illegal bunkering, sea piracy and other related vices are getting to a worrisome dimension now that the era of militancy is over, he added.
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