The Joint Task Force Monitoring Team led by NIMASA has intercepted and arrested a fibre boat named Amomo Marine carrying nine units of 205 litre drums and 16 units of 50 litre cans of Automative Gas Oil (AGO) near the NNPC pipeline at Atlas Cove, Lagos.
The boat was immediately apprehended by the joint team of NIMASA officials and the Nigerian Navy and taken to the Agency’s Kirikiri jetty.
The Joint Task Force Monitoring Team led by NIMASA has intercepted and arrested a fibre boat named Amomo Marine carrying nine units of 205 litre drums and 16 units of 50 litre cans of Automative Gas Oil (AGO) near the NNPC pipeline at Atlas Cove, Lagos.
The boat was immediately apprehended by the joint team of NIMASA officials and the Nigerian Navy and taken to the Agency’s Kirikiri jetty.
During questioning by NIMASA officials at its Kirikiri office, the crew members whose names were given as Ganiyu Abbas and Jamiu Matthew said they were sent by their boss to supply rice, fish and water to an unnamed ship at sea and that they would be paid with one and a half ton of diesel.
The suspected sponsors, Mrs. Sikirat Oba and Mr. Emiko Nelson were also apprehended after they were called by the boat crew.
A joint statement by the duo revealed that they were contacted by one Mr. Seun to supply food stuf – rice, fish, and water to a vessel and they will in- turn be paid with one and a half ton of AGO and that the boat was on its way back when the NIMASA Task Force apprehended it.
Meanwhile officials of the agency have evacuated the boat to stop the continued spill of the oil with resultant negative effects on marine and aquatic life.
The suspects and the AGO have been handed over to the Marine Police at Kirikiri for further investigations.
Warning illegal operators on the nation’s waterways to desist, NIMASA said that while it “will continue to patrol the waterways and creeks to check illegal activities at sea and incessant pollution of the marine environment by non- conventional vessels and crafts, awareness campaigns to operators of these small crafts remain critical.”
It also declared its resolve to increase the tempo of the campaigns in a bid to ensuring safer and cleaner maritime domain.
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