The Nigerian Navy has arrested one Sabbath Enaizigha for allegedly possessing explosive devices in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Seven other persons were also arrested for various criminal activities, including suspected oil theft, illegal crude oil refining and impersonation.
Enaizigha was arrested by men of the Nigerian Navy Ship at a beach in the area, it was learnt.
Parading the suspects at the jetty of the Warri Naval Base on Tuesday, the Base Operations Officer NNS Delta, Commander Shehu Tasiu, explained that Enaizigha was arrested after he and others, now at large, were sighted by officers of the Naval base.
Tasiu said that several connecting devices were also found in a boat believed to used by the suspects.
“Mr Sabbath was arrested on Friday by our patrol team at an undisclosed location in Warri South-West council area. Our patrol team sighted them at a beach and their behaviour was suspicious. Consequently, our men moved towards them and, on sighting our men, they took off.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Sabbath was caught. We saw him with cutlass and there was a boat. On searching the boat, we found detonating cuts, explosive powder, cutlasses, batteries, a telephone and one bale each of red and white materials (cloths),” he said.
He added, “Mr Sabbath was also seen tying this red material on his legs and the white material round his neck. Although he claims not to know anything about the boat, when you go to check the boat you will see that the boat too has these red and white materials tied on it. We have done our preliminary investigation and he will be handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution.”
Tasiu, who later handed the suspects over to representatives of the Warri Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force, gave the identities of two other persons arrested and paraded as Uwatse Samson and Sunny Saidu.
He explained that the two suspects were arrested together on a boat loaded with illegally refined diesel, while another set, identified as Favour, Godpassdem, Doughe and Adeoye, were arrested in another operation, after they were allegedly caught with a Cotonou boat loaded with 100 metric tons of illegally refined diesel.
While explaining how the suspects were nabbed, Tasiu said, “We arrested two persons, Mr Uwatse Samson and Mr Sunny Saidu, on March 23, for suspected illegal oil bunkering activities at a a camp jointly operated by Mr. Cheke, Mr. Gamu and Mr. Benson Uwatse in Ugbodede. That camp is known for cooking of stolen crude oil.
“When our patrol team got there, they were cited with a boat, loaded with illegally refined product, suspected to be A.G.O. They were arrested by our men and the boats were burnt.”
He continued, “Another arrest was made on the same day, March 23, 2016. This time around, four suspects were arrested along Escravos Channel. They are Mr. Favour, Mr Godpassdem, Mr Doughe and Mr Adeoye. They were also arrested for carrying illegally refined product, for which they did not have legal papers and they could not explain the circumstances under which they got the product.
“They were carrying about 100 metric tons of illegally refined A.G.O in a Cotonou boat.”
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