This past weekend, sailors from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Igbokoda, Ondo State, seized 15,775 liters of stolen crude oil in the Ilaje axis of the state and torched it.
Base Commanding Officer Captain Wasuku Alushi put the worth of the goods seized at N13,251,000 and attributed the action to the base’s anti-Crude Oil Theft (COT) patrol unit.
The products were destroyed under the directive of the joint taskforce Operation Delta Safe on COT, according to Commander Humphrey Nnaji, who spoke on behalf of Alushi.
He emphasized that the crew had received information on illegal bunkering within the axis, which led to the tracking and interception of a wooden boat called a “Cotonou” that was carrying crude oil.
About 12 NM off the coast of Ojumole and Obe, in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, the wooden boat was intercepted. On sighting naval personnel, the crew abandoned the boat and ran,” he claimed.
He reaffirmed the base’s dedication to eliminating the threat of COT and other crimes in Igbokoda and the surrounding area, and promised increased surveillance within the axis.