Navy Arrests, Hands Over Five Beninois to NSCDC, Recovers Smuggled Petrol

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, on Monday arrested five suspected pipeline vandals with hundreds of 25 litres jerrycans laden with stolen premium motor spirit (PMS) and handed them over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The suspects, Agbotou Firmin, Sohe Soule, Gbenou Daniel, Dosspu Vigor and Sodohe Olivier, were handed over to NSCDC Lagos Commandant, Tajudeen Balogun, alongside one Yamaha 40HP outboard engine, one wooden boat and several recovered products.

THISDAY gathered that they were nabbed along Badagry Creeks in Tongeji Island by naval personnel while conveying the suspected stolen products on a wooden boat towards Benin Republic.

Before the handover, Commander NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Abraham Adaji, said in an interview with THISDAY that the products were believed to have been got from a vandalised pipeline.

He said during interrogation, the suspects claimed they were fishermen based in Port Novo, Benin Republic and that it was their boss who called them out for the business.

Further details later