EFCC receives seized tugboat, barge from Army

One tugboat and a barge allegedly seized from oil thieves, in Delta State, have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the Nigerian Army.

Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Uwujaren, however, did not state whether the suspects were arrested or not.

He said the tugboat (MV Omar Success) and the barge (EBIs 1) were allegedly being used for illegal oil bunkering when they were seized.

According to him, the Sector 1, Operation Delta Safe of the Army intercepted the vessels at a creek in Abadiama community of Burutu Local Government Area of the state following a tip-off.

Uwujaren further stated that Major Y. J. Yunusa, who represented the Commander, said the tugboat and barge were intercepted on February 1, 2018, while trans-loading suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil.

“An EFCC operative, Richard Ogberagha, who received the exhibits on behalf of the Benin Zonal Head of the Commission, Milafia Yakubu, confirmed that EFCC would do a painstaking investigation and ensure that those involved were brought to book”, he declared.