Niger Delta: JTF arrests 1, 605 suspected oil thieves, others in 2015; parades 5 sea pirates in Southern Ijaw council
NEDU MARK, Yenagoa
The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, codenamed; Operation Pulo Shield, has paraded five suspected sea pirates alongside two suspected oil thieves in the creeks of Sangala in Southern Ijaw local government Area of Bayelsa state.
This is as the command disclosed that over 1,605 suspects were arrested for various crimes ranging from sea piracy, kidnapping, illegal oil bunkering and other vices in 2015.
The Command reiterated its determination to wage the war against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta that affects the socio-economic development of the region and the country at large.
Parading the suspects, Commander, Operation Pulo Shield, Major-General Alani Gafar Okunlola said the seven criminals were arrested by troops of Sector 2 of the command on 21st and 22nd of December in Southern Ijaw while patrolling the creeks.
Represented by the commander, Spokesman and Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Col Isa Ado said the troops recovered four shot guns, 4 cartridges and 12 mobile handsets and other personal belongings.
He gave the names of the suspects as Gabriel Abel 23, Ebiaredia Godday, 23, Samson Ezekiel, Gift Enihus and Richard Christian, noting the suspects have been placed in the custody of the command as preliminary investigation are ongoing before handling them over to prosecuting agencies.
On the achievement of the Command in 2015, Maj. Gen Okunlola said the command had carried out a sustained and aggressive man-hunt against oil related crimes in the region in line with the zero tolerance campaign of the current national and military leadership on oil theft and illegal oil bunkering.
He noted that in 2015, nine suspected oil thieves operating with ‘Cotonou boats’ were arrested with a brown coloured-Mack truck laden with stolen Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
The Commander also said that in 2015 the command intercepted and arrested a vessel christened MV EUROPORT laden with 1,500 metric tons of stolen crude oil along Forupa Channel in Southern Ijaw Area of Bayelsa state.
Also in the year under review, Maj. Gen. Okunlola said the command arrested Mr. Gege Esua and Mr. Tombia Guyman along the Letugbene Tunu axis in Ekeremor area of Bayelsa state
Operation Pulo Shield said in its bid to make the region conducive for economic actives to strive, it destroyed kidnappers’ den across the creeks of Niger Delta as well as recovered weapons including machine guns, AK-47s, other automatic rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), live cartridges of different calibres
He further said the command embarked on confidence building patrols to dissuade the youths and communities against getting involved in illegal oil bunkering and other criminalities in the region, noting that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other International Oil Companies (OICs) have acknowledged an increase in oil production due to the command’s aggressive day and night patrols.
