By Samuel Oyadongha

The Joint Task Force, JTF in the Niger Delta code-named, Operation Restore Hope, has arrested over 100 suspects in the last three months for crude oil theft and operation of illegal refineries.

The suspects were nabbed in separate operations launched in the creek of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States. Interestingly, the largest haul was made in the creek of Bayelsa around the Akassa enclave on the Atlantic fringe of Brass.

Information at SweetCrude disposal showed that the men of the Joint Task in a single operat ion swooped last Thursday on 46 suspected illegal bunkerers including three women operating in several Cotonu boats along the Akassa River in the mangrove swamp of Bayelsa State.

This is aside, the fifteen that were arrested penultimate week also along the Akassa flank of the state.

Also reportedly nabbed in the latest haul alongside the suspects along the Akassa river according to security sources was a giant cargo vessel, MV Omiesam with International Maritime Organisation registration no 7048611 which was about to receive illegally refined petroleum products from the Cotonu boats before a patrol team of Joint Task Force swooped on them.

The Cotonu boats it was learnt destroyed by the security operatives as would be difficult towing them to Yenagoa while the vessel MV Omiesam and its eight man crew was escorted to Government Jetty Yenagoa by JTF gunboats.

Sometime in March, 2011, the Joint Task Force it was learnt intercepted two Cotonu boats along the Nun River carrying about 700 drums of illegally refined petroleum products which translate to about 187,500 litres of adulterated fuel.

Parading the latest suspects in Yenagoa, the Media Coordinator of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha said they were nabbed by a patrol team of the Joint Task Force along the Akassa river in Brass local government.

According to him, they were attempting to discharge their consignment of illegally refined petroleum products into a ship, MV Omiesam, an International Maritime Organisation IMO vessel with registration no 7048611 when security operatives swooped on them.

But the captain of the impounded vessel MV Omiesam, who gave his name as Fidelis Roland in an interview said, “Our company identified as Geo Fluids Marine Ltd sent us to Brass to load AGO and on getting there, we have not started loading before we were arrested by the soldiers.”

Lt Col Antigha who spoke to newsmen said the security the outfit would not relent in its crusade against crude theft and illegal refineries operators until the scourge is stamped out.

The JTF Spokesman said, “these suspects, who were nabbed by our patrol teams along the Akassa river were in the process of loading this vessel (MV Omiesam) with illegally refined petroleum products. Presently, the oil vessel is detained at the Government Jetty, in Yenagoa.

“The intercepted vessel has a crew of 8 and the other 38 suspects were found with 13 Cotonou boats and 1 speed boats that had assembled beside the vessel, with the plan to load it with the illegally refined products.

“The 13 Cotonou boats contained about 13 GP Tanks of various capacities, ranging from 500 to 1,000 litres, including numerous plastic drums that were already filled with petroleum products.”

He said such products were sourced through stolen crude oil or vandalised pipelines and subsequently process in a crude manner.

“These suspects have contributed in no small measure to the destruction of the nation’s economy and the environment,” he said.

The JTF, he said, would not relent in its efforts to ensure adequate security of the country’s oil facilities and installations.

“The inimical activities of oil thieves and vandals would not only be contained, but also nip in the bud,” he assured.

He explained that with the latest arrest no fewer than 100 suspects had been nabbed in the last 3 months by JTF in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta states on criminal activities of illegal bunkering.

Aside, he disclosed that the JTF had destroyed over 2000 illegal refineries in the region in the last couple of months which operators relied on stolen crude from the nation oil facilities.

Some of the equipment allegedly used to pump stolen crude oil and other harbour engines being utilised to carry out their illegal activities of siphoning oil from ruptured pipelines were also recovered by the security operatives.