Seven suspected oil thieves and two vessels, MT Cergen D and MT Rheinfelden, have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for further investigation and prosecution by officers of the Central Command of the Nigerian Navy in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

According to a statement by EFCC’s spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, Commodore Bamidupe Babagbale who represented the Navy at the brief ceremony on May 28, said that the vessels were arrested at different times by his team.

He revealed that the team discovered that “the first vessel which name was altered from MT Maria Brossum to MT Cergen D, was arrested on March 18, 2014 at Fish Town loaded with 2,356,000 litres of cargo suspected to be stolen crude oil, and six crew members: Dauda Usman, Adelaja David, Alowakenu Mathew, Edelman Bayo, Ogja Aghedo, Adedara Tope.”

At the time of arrest, the crew members allegedly had no approval to lift crude oil.

“The second vessel, MT Rheinfelden, was arrested on April 19, 2014 around Akassa carrying 849,612 tons of illegally refined automotive gas oil, AGO. Aboard the vessel was one Salami Kazeem (chief officer),” it stated.

“The suspects and the vessels were received on behalf of the EFCC by a Senior Detective Superintendent, Olayinka Macaulay,” the statement added.