UYO, Nigeria (BN24)— The Akwa Ibom State Marine Police have arrested two men accused of illegal oil bunkering after intercepting a large wooden boat loaded with suspected stolen crude oil in Mbo Local Government Area of the riverine state in South Nigeria.
The arrests followed an August 2 operation on the Okposo waterway, launched after credible intelligence indicated petroleum was being moved toward the maritime border between Nigeria and Cameroon, police said Tuesday.
State police spokesperson DSP Timfon John reported that two gunboats were deployed to intercept the vessel, which was found carrying crude oil believed to have been siphoned from an oil pipeline’s weir head.
“The quick and effective response by the Marine Police led to the successful arrest of the two suspects and the recovery of the boat and its stolen contents,” John said, adding that investigations are underway to determine the source of the petroleum and the scale of the operation.
Authorities say the case underscores ongoing efforts by security agencies to combat oil theft and the environmental damage caused by unauthorized bunkering in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions.
