By Jimitota Onoyume
PORT HARCOURT— JOINT Task Force has called for the setting up of a special court to try illegal bunkerers in the country.

Commander of the Force, Major General Sarki Yarki Bello, in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, said it would help win the war against illegal bunkering operations.

According to him, “most of the illegal bunkers are exploiting the lapses in our laws to perpetuate their illegal acts against the economy of the nation.”

General Bello said the world over, crusade against illegal bunkering is known to be very challenging because those behind the illicit act have formed themselves into cartels and are shadowy.

“The fight against illegal oil bunkering is the most dangerous. One needs to fear illegal bunkers. They are a cartel, and those behind it are shadowy figures.

They are all over the country and the world. In Nigeria, they own refineries outside, they own board rooms in several parts of the world.

People you see in the sea are their foot soldiers.”

He said the latest ship his team arrested in Bayelsa had a pipe connected to a mother ship that was stationed two hundred nautical miles outside the territorial waters of the country.

“The one arrested was supplying the mother ship from Nigeria. So illegal bunkers are all over. As a soldier fighting militancy, it is easier because you know where they stand but it is not the same with illegal bunkerers.”

Bello said illegal bunkering was the bane of insecurity in the country because those behind it are usually very rich and go for sophisticated arms to protect their illicit business interest.

On allegation that he demanded bribe from the owner of MV Tim Begele to release its vessel seized by the JTF, he said it was a lie.

According to him, the oil cartel would go to any length to assail the integrity and character of those they consider to be enemies.

“The vessel was arrested by my men in Delta State. I disagreed with the report of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt on the issue. This is where the issue of moral courage comes in.

I wrote to the EFCC headquarters requesting it to reinvestigate the issue. This is the cause of the whole attack on General Bello and the JTF. I have received threats.

“They have tried all means without success, so they want to assail my reputation. But God will not allow it. I have a complete file on the issue. We will not compromise on the fight against illegal bunkering,” he added