The Nigerian Navy on Wednesday set ablaze a vessel allegedly used for illegal oil refining in Rivers State.
The vessel named MV OFUOMA was intercepted on August 27 at the Abuloma jetty in Port Harcourt and subsequently destroyed.
The MV OFUOMA was loaded with about 20,000 illegally refined products.
According to Commander, Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, the vessel was seized along with a wooden boat used to transport products onboard.
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Ferreira explained that the destruction was done jointly by the Navy and the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe.
He stated that the product was set on fire after it was inspected by the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and found to be an illegally refined product.
Ferriera, who was represented by Maritime Component Commander Operation Delta Safe, Commodore Adedokun Siyanbade, said the vessel MV Ofoma and wooden boats were pushed deep into the water to safety before being wrecked.
Major General Olusegun Ferreira, commander of the Operation Delta Safe South-South Joint Task Force, said at the site of the destruction that He said he was drowned.
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He said the arrest and destruction of the products were consistent with existing mandates to end the reign of oil theft, vandalism, and other crimes.
He said:
“In line with the mandate of Joint Task Joint South-south Operation Delta Safe, the Joint Force is determined to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the fight against crude oil theft, vandalism and other criminality in Niger Delta Region.
“This can be attested to with the numerous achievements that have been recorded in the cause of our operations.
“Recall that on August 15, 2023, troops intercepted a vessel MV CECELIA in Port Harcourt, which was used as a storage and dispensing unit for illegally refined product.
“The vessel was later handled after thorough investigation and confirmation that the product was illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel).”
