BREAKING NEWS: Navy Arrests Ship With Arms In Rivers
NIGERIAN Navy said it had arrested a marine tanker named ‘Team Tango’ conveying substances suspected to be dangerous cargoes in Rivers state. Naval Director of Information, Commodore Christian Odogwu Ezekobe confirmed the arrest in a statement yesterday that the ship, which was tracked down with Maritime Domain Awareness, MDA, capability of the Nigerian Navy, is presently under interrogation and would be promptly handed over to the appropriate agency for further action.
Although the statement did not exposed the content of the ship, an insider at the naval headquarters, Abuja, confided in Nigerian Pilot that some weapons were found in the apprehended tanker. The naval spokesman revealed further that on August 29, a patrol team deployed by FOB BONNY raided an illegal refinery site at Boloba Creek in Bonny LGA of
Rivers State. “During the raid, the patrol team destroyed the illegal refinery, which had several storage tanks loaded with unquantifiable amount of stolen crude oil. “In a similar operation on August 31, the patrol team arrested a barge suspected to be involved in COT at Creek 6 in Bonny LGA, Rivers State. The barge was laden with yet to be quantified stolen crude oil. No arrest was however made in both cases as the suspects fled the scene on sighting the patrol team.”
With this development, Ezekobe boasted that the anti crude oil theft operations of the Nigerian Navy had once again yielded results with the sustained patrol of the maritime area. Four Soldiers feared drowned in Bayelsa boat mishap Military Operation known as Operation Crocodile Smile on Monday suffered major loss following a boat mishap along the Brass Water ways in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
The boat accident lead to the death of four soldiers by drowning and missing are service rifles belonging to the missing soldiers. Nigerian Pilot gathered that the incident, which occurred at about 10am on Monday, created panic among newly deployed soldiers.
Though it has not been confirmed the mission of the Soldiers in the area, it is not unconnected to the security operations against renewed militancy, sea piracy and search for those threatening to hoist the Niger Delta Republic flag. An indigene of the Community simply identified as Etta, said that attempts by community youths and other soldiers to assist in a rescue operation failed as the drowned soldiers could not be found. According to Etta, “In recent times, we have been noticing increased movement of soldiers in our area. The boat that capsized was conveying a new batch of soldiers to the water front.
I was going to dispose of refuse at the waterfront and I saw uniformed soldiers struggling to rescue their colleagues in a capsized boat.” “When the confusion subsided, Four Soldiers were found to be missing with their rifles and other military gear. Some others that were rescued had their rifle missing and struggling out of the water. “ It was gathered that as at 2pm, the military authorities sought the help of local divers and Youths to assist in the search for the missing soldiers. One of the Youths confirmed that the high tide of the water is impeding the search for the missing soldiers.
The State Chairman of the Maritime Union, Comrade Lyyod Sese who confirmed the incident, said the union had received the report on the boat incident, ”but don’t have details on the numbers of casualty.” Also confirming the incident, an official of Brass Local Government Council, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the development, “but we thank God it was a natural incident.”
