A man arrested for illegal oil bunkering by the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Jubilee Ikot Abasi, in Akwa Ibom State, with a vehicle loaded with illegally-refined petroleum products, has confessed to having gone into bunkering to raise money to buy drugs for his sick father.
An accomplice of his who also confessed to the crime said he joined the illicit business because he needed money to attend a church programme at Abak.
According to Vanguard’s report, Anthony Usoro, 40, and Uyobong Emmanuel, 34, were reportedly arrested while conveying the products from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Akwa Ibom State and handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
Speaking about their arrest after the suspects were handed over to the NSCDC yesterday, Saidu Garba, Commander of NNS Jubilee Ikot Abasi, who was represented by Commander Murtala Yunusa, said Usoro and Emmanuel were arrested last Sunday by Operation Thunder along Oruk Anam axis of Akwa Ibom State, with 20 cellophane bags of products suspected to be illegally refined diesel.
“The cellophane bags were stacked in the booth of a black Honda Legend salon car with number plates DB 724 PH and covered with cartons of noodles. The Nigerian Navy recognizes the jurisdiction and constitutional role of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
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“Therefore, I request you to take over the accused persons and the vehicle loaded with 20 cellophane bags of the product suspected to be illegally refined diesel for further investigation and prosecution. “The tempo will continue until we rid our society of this illegality.”
Speaking in defence of the crime committed, one of the suspects, Uyobong Emmanuel said it was his first trip and further added.
“I am a taxi driver for somebody in Port Harcourt. I was supposed to go for a church programme at Abak in Akwa Ibom, but I did not have any money in my pocket.
“So I said let me use the opportunity to do this business so that I can have little money that will help me go for the church programme.
Also responding to his own reason for involvement in the punishable offence, Anthony Usoro
a native of Ikot Abasi Local Government said he got a call from his sick father in the village who needed money to buy drugs.
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“I went into the business because when I came to see my sick dad, he (Emmanuel) approached me to join him on this trip. I agreed and we had an agreement that we will share the profit equally.
“I know Emmanuel very well as a friend and taxi driver, but not as a dealer in this business. So this is the first time both of us are doing this.
“I am a driver to a lawyer in Port Harcourt and he owned the car that we were arrested with but he doesn’t know I used his vehicle to do this business. He does not even know that I am here.”
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