Vessel with 20,000 litres of refined product destroyed in Rivers

A vessel, MV OFUOMA, allegedly used for illegal oil bunkering at the Abuloma Jetty in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has been destroyed by the Nigerian Navy on Wednesday.

The vessel, which was laden with about 20,000 litres of the alleged refined product, was seized by the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe, alongside a wooden boat used for transferring the product into the vessel.

According to the Navy, the vessel and the wooden boat were pushed far into the deep waters to a safe location before it was destroyed.

The Commander, Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, while speaking at site of the destruction, said the product was set ablaze after the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority tested and confirmed it to be an illegally refined product.

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Ferreira, who was represented by Maritime Component Commander Operation Delta Safe, Commodore Adedokun Siyanbade, said the vessel MV OFUOMA was intercepted by the troops on August 27, 2023, in Abuloma, Port Harcourt

According to him, the arrest and destruction of the product was in line with the extant mandate to eradicate the reign of crude oil theft, vandalism and other criminality.

Rear Admiral Ferreira further said the vessel MV CECELIA earlier arrested on August 25, 2023, had since been destroyed.

“In line with the mandate of Joint Task Joint South-south Operation Delta Safe, the Joint Force is determined to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the fight against crude oil theft, vandalism and other criminality in Niger Delta Region.

“This can be attested to with the numerous achievements that have been recorded in the cause of our operations.

“Recall that on August 15, 2023, troops intercepted a vessel MV CECELIA in Port Harcourt, which was used as a storage and dispensing unit for illegally refined product.

“The vessel was later handled after thorough investigation and confirmation that the product was illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel)”, Ferreira said.

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