The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the initiation of investigations into the operations of eight individuals suspected of oil theft in Rivers State.
On January 10, 2024, the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Akiama Road, Bonny Island, Rivers State, transferred the suspects to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the EFCC statement on its website, the suspects were apprehended with an undisclosed quantity of illegally obtained Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel, along Bonny Channel.
Lieutenant Commander G.Y. Gwaza, the Naval Hand-Over Officer, reported that the vessel MV Cabrini and its eight-member crew were detained during an operation on November 8, 2023.
The suspects, believed to be involved in oil theft, were subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and potential prosecution.
Chief Superintendent Itoro Levi, representing the EFCC, expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts with the Navy and assured a thorough and professional investigation into the case.
On December 12, 2023, reports state that the Navy transferred three apprehended suspects to the police for their involvement in orchestrating a fraudulent oil approval for a Marine Vessel named Mother Gabrini in Rivers State.
During a press briefing where the suspects were presented, Commodore Desmond Igbo, the Commander of the NNS Pathfinder, revealed that the vessel had been intercepted on November 8 on suspicion of engaging in illegal bunkering during operations conducted by the Forward Operating Base in the Bonny Council of the state.