By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has promised to prosecute the 20 suspected crude oil thieves apprehended last month by officials of the Nigerian Navy in Bayelsa State.
The suspects were nabbed by the Navy precisely on December 6, 2021, in Akassa River, Bayelsa State along with a vessel – MTT4, and were handed over to the agency over the weekend.
During the handing over of the accused persons to the EFCC, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh (NNS), Commodore Patrick Effah, stated that the vessel was loaded with 700,000 litres of illegally sourced crude oil.
He said the handing over to the commission was in compliance with the naval headquarters’ directives, adding that the vessel and her crew were complicit in the crime that borders on economic sabotage.
“The Nigerian Navy has been given the mandate to apprehend any ship suspected to be carrying out illegalities in the Nigerian maritime domain, however, by law, we are not allowed to carry out prosecution of offenders.
“We are directed to hand over seized vessels to the EFCC for further investigations and possible prosecution,” he said.
On his part, Mr Anthony Mark, an official of the EFCC team, Port Harcourt Zonal Office, who received the vessel, reiterated the readiness of the commission to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.
“We will carry out a thorough investigation with a view to determining the level of involvement, the content of the vessel and prosecution of those involved,” he said.
Dipo Olowookere