The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, Monday, handed over some military equipment and accoutrement to the Nigerian Military High Command.
EFCC Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, in a press statements in Abuja, said Bawa speaking at a brief ceremony at the Commission’s Zonal Command in Wuse II, Abuja, commended the longstanding collaborative relationship between the Commission and the Nigerian Military.
He said the Commission’s chair, who was represented by the Head of Operations, Headquarters, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Michael Wetkas, explained that the items were recovered from a contractor who supplies military equipment, stating that they were voluntarily handed over to the commission in the course of an investigation.
Wetkas noted that it was important to hand over the equipment directly to the military to prevent them getting into the wrong hands.
The spokesperson said Col. A.T. Bitiyong, who received the items on behalf of the Commander, Defence Headquarters Garrison, expressed appreciation to the EFCC for the mutual relationship between the military and the commission. He assured that all the equipment would be delivered to the appropriate quarters.
Uwujaren listed the items to include seven ballistic jackets with plates, one ballistic jacket without plate, three flotation jackets, five plates and six helmets.
Others are nine camouflage T-shirts, and 30 sacks containing web equipment.
He said the ceremony was witnessed by the Abuja Zonal Commander, ACE II Adeniyi Adebayo, Head Special Investigation, ACE II Goji Mohammed, CSE Junaid M. Sa’id and the Commission’s Exhibit Keeper, CSE Salawu Abdulrazaq.
Meanwhile, the commission, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, has arrested 120 suspected oil thieves in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
Uwujaren, in a separate statement, said: “Operatives of the EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal Command, have arrested one hundred and twenty suspects for alleged illegal oil bunkering in a joint operation with with personnel of the 6 Division Garrison, Nigerian Army Port Harcourt
He said they were arrested on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Ndoni, Rivers state, where suspected illegally refined petroleum products were off-loaded into vehicles at the waterfronts for distribution within and outside the state.
“The arrest of the suspects was made possible by intelligence on the alleged illegal oil bunkering activities in the locality.
“In the course of the arrest, 8 vehicles and pumping machines were recovered. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded,” the spokesperson added.