The Nigerian Navy has successfully arrested 17 individuals involved in the illegal siphoning of crude oil in Ondo State. The operation occurred at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Igbokoda, where a 77-meter-long Motor Tanker (MT) VINNALARIS 1 Lagos was intercepted.
Navy spokesperson Commodore Adedotun Olukayode Ayo-Vaughan, revealed in a statement that the vessel was caught engaging in the illegal siphoning of crude oil from a wellhead at the EBESAN oil field, approximately 7 nautical miles off the coast of Awoye riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Ayo-Vaughan emphasized that the apprehension was based on credible intelligence received by the Forward Operating Base regarding the illicit activities at the location. Swift deployment of FOB Igbokoda personnel led to the successful arrest of the vessel and its 17 crew members.
The naval authorities observed that as the anti-Crude Oil Theft Patrol Team approached MT VINNALARIS 1 LAGOS, two boats attached to the vessel attempted to flee upon sighting naval personnel, confirming the vessel’s engagement in illegal activities.
Upon inspection, it was discovered that the vessel was actively siphoning crude oil from both sides of the wellhead. The naval spokesman further disclosed that the vessel, with a storage capacity of about 15,000 metric tonnes, had loaded approximately 500 metric tonnes of crude oil at the time of arrest..