NAVY HANDS OVER OIL THEFT SUSPECTS, RECOVERED BOAT ENGINE TO POLICE IN LAGOS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
On Friday, Kolawole Oguntuga, Commander, NNS BEECROFT, Lagos State, handed over four men who were suspected to be on an oil theft operation to the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command under the leadership of CP idowu Owohunwa.
This is coming after the Nigerian Navy stationed at FOB LEKKI said it foiled an attempted oil theft operation on the waterways near Itolu Community, Lekki, in Lagos State on Wednesday, 30 August 2023, when local youths reported gunshots in the vicinity of the community.
The Naval officer said while briefing the press at the States command, that upon receiving a distress call in the Itolu Community, Lekki, in Lagos State, its patrol teams immediately launched a response operation which led to the arrest of four men dressed in black polo with TANTITA written on it.
He said, “Upon arrival at the waterfront, the naval team met four individuals dressed in black polo shirts with TANTITA inscribed on the back, trying to forcefully collect a dismantled outboard engine from a local.
“The team recovered the engine and apprehended the four Tantita Employees. It was after this arrest that the Patrol Team realized that the four individuals were part of a group escorting a large wooden boat with two fiber boats.
“The four arrested individuals beckoned on the two fiber boats to approach them but when they noticed NN patrol teams, the boats altered courses, fled, and abandoned the large wooden boat laden with 11 x 1000L Geepee tanks with product suspected to be stolen crude oil.”
He Continued, “Today, we are to handover the suspects and exhibits to the appropriate Prosecuting agency which is the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command, to unravel the circumstances.”
The men that are in that boat are now at large, though, our men are after them and we would fish them out.”
“This is just to encourage law abiding citizens particularly those in the coastal communities that, the security agencies will not relent towards making sure the environment is conducive for them to go about their legitimate businesses, and to continue to do what they need to do in accordance with the law.”
He concluded that these steps taken will reinforce the synergy between security agencies particularly Lagos state, that we will work together and will not leave any gap for individual or group to carryout their criminal plans.
Meanwhile, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, made it clear that as far as Lagos state internal security space is concerned, they have a very strong united force to respond and commonly deal with any group, network, or individual that might wish to test their common.
He said, “On the depth of the increasing trust in the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force, to undertake professional rule of law guided investigative activities. In this case, it won’t be different.
We will take in the suspects, exhibits, and we’ll work together with my brother colleague to get to root of these and ensure that justice must be done, so that the clear statement must be made to water borne criminals that Lagos remains a no-go area for them.
Owohunwa thanked the commodore, for the confidence and the operational breakthrough that has been recorded under his command while assuring that the agencies will work together to keep Lagosians safe.
He said, “I wish to encourage him to sustain it because the safer the waterways for us in Lagos is, the safer the mainland will also be.”
“So, we will continue to depend on your expertise, trust and cooperation in order to attain our common mandate of keeping Lagosians assured of their safety.”
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