The Nigerian Navy has handed over two vessels – MT Bright Hope and MV Johanna 11 – to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

The two vessels were arrested by the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base Bonny with thirteen crew members onboard MT Bright Hope while twelve crew members were onboard MV Johanna 11.

While performing the handing over exercise in Bonny, Rivers State, the commanding officer Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base Bonny, Captain Rufus Taye Oladejo explained that preliminary investigation has revealed that MT Bright Hope was arrested on the 10th of September 2021 along the Bonny waterways laden with about 1,371,256 litres of stolen crude oil and 62,431 litres of illegal refined AGO.

Captain Oladejo while giving a brief of the second vessel, MV Johanna 11 that was also arrested on the 14th of July 2021 conveying about 394 ,000 litres of product suspected to be AGO without the Nigerian Navy approval, also explained that activities of illegal refineries have reduced drastically due to the synergy with other sisters agencies in policing Nigeria’s waterways against oil theft and other marine crimes.

EFCC detective Arasah Shaks, who received the vessels and the suspects on behalf of the Port Harcourt Zonal command of the EFCC, said investigation will commence immediately and the suspects prosecuted if found guilty.

Detective Shaks gave kudos to the Nigerian Navy for their unrelenting efforts in seeing that the waterways are protected and safe.