JTF destroys 2 oil bunkering vessels in Bayelsa

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta has destroyed two impounded vessels laden with stolen 1.2 metric tons of crude oil.
Spokesman of the JTF, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, led reporters on an inspection tour of the vessels on Tuesday at Sangana River off the coast of Akassa Island in the Brass Local Government Area of  Bayelsa.
He said that operatives of the JTF also arrested the owner of the vessels, Mr Joshua Orupere, whom, he said, attempted to bribe the JTF Chief of Staff, with 30,300 dollars.

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta has destroyed two impounded vessels laden with stolen 1.2 metric tons of crude oil.
Spokesman of the JTF, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, led reporters on an inspection tour of the vessels on Tuesday at Sangana River off the coast of Akassa Island in the Brass Local Government Area of  Bayelsa.
He said that operatives of the JTF also arrested the owner of the vessels, Mr Joshua Orupere, whom, he said, attempted to bribe the JTF Chief of Staff, with 30,300 dollars.
Speaking before the vessels were burnt, Nwachukwu said the vessels were impounded on July 28 with each vessel containing about 600,000 tons of stolen crude.
He said the JTF operation was led by the Commanding Officer, 343 Artillery Regiment Lt.-Col. Muktar Adamu, who led a team of security operatives to intercept the vessels.
The destroyed vessels are MV Premaire and VI Suntra.
Nwachukwu said that the recent acquisition of four K38 gunboats for the JTF by the Federal Government had boosted the morale of the JTF to fight oil thieves.
He said the suspect had confessed to the crime and also confessed to have made several attempts to bribe JTF officers to release the impounded vessels before his arrest by JTF intelligence officers.
Also speaking, Adamu said the vessels were intercepted during a two-day combined operation in the creeks by the JTF.
He said that the interception of the vessels and arrest of the suspect were part of the fight against illegalities and piracy in the Niger Delta.
 Adamu said however, that none of the crew member in both vessels was arrested by his team as they had fled from the vessels before the arrival of the JTF operatives.
“No arrest was made when the vessels was seized, all crew members on board fled before the arrival of our men,'' Adamu said.
In an interview with newsmen, Orupere, who hails from Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa, said the vessels belonged to him.
He also corroborated that he attempted to bribe the JTF Chief of Staff with $30,300 dollars before the arrest.
Orupere said that no crew member was on board the vessels, saying that the two vessels were condemned vessels that were converted to barges to load crude oil.