The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Port Harcourt Zonal office, Friday, took over a vessel, christened MT Morris alongside nine crew members.
EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in a press statement in Abuja, said the vessel and suspectes were handed over to the commission by representative of Sector Three of the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, Colonel N.C.E Ejike.
He listed the suspects as: Felix Eboh; Ovie Idisi; Bob Davies; Ojo Sunday; Oluwale Olaitan; Orok Oyo; Godwin Okpaje, Francis Chinbo; and Olanioyi Goodness.
Ejike explained that the suspects and the vessel were arrested by officers of 29 Battalion, Nigeria Army, deployed for anti-bunkering operations at Bile in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State. They were nabbed while siphoning petroleum products suspected to be crude oil from a pipeline.
The spokesperson said while receiving the suspects and exhibits, the Head Extractive Industry Fraud Section, Ani Davis Stanley, who representative of the Zonal Head, thanked the officers and men of the Joint Task Force for their efforts and commitment towards combating illegal oil bunkering activities and safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain.
He promised that the EFCC would ensure that justice was served, noting that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.
