Navy seals tank farm for storing illegally-refined diesel

The Nigerian Navy has sealed a tank farm in Calabar suspected to be storing illegally-refined diesel.

Commodore Rotimi Oderemi, Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship Victory, made this known at a news conference he addressed in Calabar on Tuesday.

He said the tank farm was identified following intelligence report from military’s joint taskforce in the South-South – “Operation Delta Safe’’.

“Based on the report, the tank farm was sealed and samples of the suspected illegally-refined diesel were taken for laboratory analysis.

“Investigation is on-going. I advise business owners and tank farm operators to operate within the confines of the law by obtaining necessary approvals for their operations,’’ Oderemi said.

On Feb. 24, a joint operation by the Nigerian and Cameroonian Navies led to the interception of a vessel laden with 30,000 litres of crude oil suspected to have been stolen from Nigeria.

Oderemi told newsmen then at the inspection of the vessel at Ibaka in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom that the vessel, MV Jasmine, was intercepted by a Nigerian Navy patrol boat, NNS Ekulu.

“Upon noticing NNS Ekulu, the suspected vessel proceeded to the international waters between Nigeria and Cameroon, just as NNS Ekulu was in its hot pursuit.

“Resulting from our collaboration and with the support of the Cameroonian Navy, the vessel was intercepted and brought to Ibaka with eight Nigerians on board,’’ he said.

Captain of the intercepted vessel, Mr Pere-Ebiye Abraham, claimed its ownership and said he went into illegal bunkering because of hardship.