The Federal Government said on Wednesday that it had begun investigations into the allegation of illegal oil bunkering activities along the River Niger coastline areas from Bayelsa State to Onitsha.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Ashimiyu Olaniyi, said this while briefing newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra.
Olaniyi, who spoke through Lt.-Col. Bayode Adetoro, Commanding Officer, 14 Field Engineers, Onitsha, said that the Army was collaborating with the police and SSS on the matter.
The Federal Government said on Wednesday that it had begun investigations into the allegation of illegal oil bunkering activities along the River Niger coastline areas from Bayelsa State to Onitsha.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Ashimiyu Olaniyi, said this while briefing newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra.
Olaniyi, who spoke through Lt.-Col. Bayode Adetoro, Commanding Officer, 14 Field Engineers, Onitsha, said that the Army was collaborating with the police and SSS on the matter.
He said the Army had identified some suspects, adding that the names of such suspects would be forwarded to the relevant security agencies for thorough investigation.
The GOC, however, decried the spate of economic sabotage along the length and stretch of the River Niger from South-South to South-East areas.
“I wish to advice the relations of the perpetrators of these illegal activities to abandon such business because the General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. A.A. Olaniyi has emphasised to formations under his command that there is zero tolerance for illegal oil bunkering. “And with that in mind, we are determined to get rid of all of them from the general area, so and of course, when you are arrested, the next thing is to hand you over for prosecution.
Continuing, he stressed that: “They must be swift to talk to their people to desist from this practice because we are not going to relent in our efforts to get rid of illegal oil bunkering.
“There is no arrest so far, but we have names and we are going to hand over these names to the police and SSS for further investigation.
“And we would be willing to give further assistance to assist them to get to the root of the matter.’’
Olaniyi also advised well-meaning Nigerians to oblige the Army and other security agencies with confidential information on the activities of the illegal bunkerers within the coastlines and other places in the South-South and South-East.
He said that such information would be treated with dispatch and confidentiality.
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