Nigerian authorities are prosecuting 25 people, including a Ghanaian, arrested aboard two ships, for their alleged involvement in the illegal bunkering of oil in Nigeria’s Rivers State.
The suspects, who were arrested by the Nigerian Navy at Forward Operating Base Bonny Island, state, were handed over Wednesday, September 22, 2021 to the EFCC (Commission Port Harcourt Area Command economic and financial crimes).
They were on board two ships: the MT Bright Hope and the MV Johanna II which fly the Togolese flag.
According to the Commission statement, sighted by our editorial staff, 12 of the suspects were arrested aboard the MV Johanna II on July 14, 2021 around the IMA oil terminal, while the other 13 suspects were arrested aboard the MT Bright Hope on September 10, 2021 offshore from Bonny Island.
The MT Bright Hope was loaded with 1,371,256 liters of suspected stolen crude oil and 62,431 liters of automotive diesel fuel (AGO) suspected of being illegally refined, while the MT Johanna was loaded with 394.00 liters of product suspected of being AGO.
The suspects were arrested along with the captains of the two vessels, including a Ghanaian, Kenneth Ekpo and Moses Baron.
Source: AfrikPage