Navy arrests 12 suspects, seizes 50 drums of oil, 486 bags of rice

The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka, Mbo Akwa Ibom State, has arrested 12 suspects and seized 50 drums of illegal Automated Gas Oil (AGO) and 486 bags of smuggled rice. The new Commanding Officer, FOB, Captain Peter Yilme, who said the arrests were made within two days of his resumption in office, noted […]

The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka, Mbo Akwa Ibom State, has arrested 12 suspects and seized 50 drums of illegal Automated Gas Oil (AGO) and 486 bags of smuggled rice.

The new Commanding Officer, FOB, Captain Peter Yilme, who said the arrests were made within two days of his resumption in office, noted that the Navy was determined to end smuggling on the water ways and warned smugglers to desist from the illegal activity.

Speaking yesterday in Ibaka, during the hand-over of the items to the Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Yilme stated that if the smugglers don’t desist, the Navy will persist with the arrests.

Yilme, who was represented by Lieutenant Commander Kareem Yusuf, Base Operations Officer, said the arrests were made in three different operations involving five suspects each with 209 and 277 bags of 50kg rice respectively, and two suspects with 50 drums of illegal AGO.

Receiving the 10 suspects and 486 bags of rice from the Nigerian Navy, Deputy Superintendent of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alabi Adedokun, commended the Navy for the cooperation between them.

Also speaking, James Essien, Divisional Officer, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in charge of Mbo Local Government Area, commended the Navy for their efforts in combating smuggling.

One of the suspects, Bright Okon, a fisherman, who has lived in Bakassi for about 20 years but from Udung Uko Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom, said he was only a passenger on the boat when it was intercepted by the Navy.

He stated that he was not involved in the smuggling but was on his way to Oron, to visit his wife and new born baby.

Another suspect, Ini Asuquo, the driver of one of the boats said he was paid N20,000 by the owner of the rice, one Mr Samuel, to move the commodity from Cameroon into Nigeria.

He said it was the first time he was carrying rice into Nigeria, adding that he was not aware that smuggling contraband rice was wrong.