The two Britons identified are Messrs Piers Eastwood and Vincent
Haywood attached to a United Kingdom based maritime security
firm with regional branch in Lagos, according to the JTF, were to
provide security/consultancy to MT Crete, a vessel believed to
have positioned at Brass open waters for supposed illegal
bunkering.
Trouble, it was learnt, started for the suspects when on March 17,
a representative of a firm (name withheld) approached the JTF
Headquarters, with an approval letter from the Nigerian Navy Ship
Delta and an authorization from the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation NNPC through the Naval Headquarters.
The approval was to evacuate products
from an arrested vessel under the custody of the NN at NNS
DELTA between 12 March -14 April 2014.
The Joint Task Force approval was reportedly issued and
immediately, the headquarters directed Sector 1 of the special
security outfit to monitor their activities in the waterways.
Speaking to newsmen yesterday at the headquarters of the JTF in
Yenagoa where the suspects were paraded, the commander of the
outfit, Major General Emmanuel Atewe who was represented by the
Media Coordinator, JMCC Col Onyema Nwachukwu said they
were arrested by operatives of the task force as part of ongoing
effort to combat the menace of crude oil theft and other sundry
crimes in the region.
According to him, “the Operations officer of 3 Battalion discovered
through their confession that their intention was to hack into one
of SPDC pipelines in Chanomi creek, Warri Delta State and siphon
crude oil.
”They gave him as an initial payment, a bribe of $5,000 for
recharge card and $1500 to fuel a gunboat that will escort the
stolen crude oil.”
According to him, they requested the Operations Officer of 3
Battalion to facilitate a meeting with the Commander 4 Brigade,
Brig Gen Fidelis Azinta.
Continuing he said, “the meeting was convened as a bait on March
20, 2014 at the Brigade Commander’s office. During the meeting,
the suspects expressed their desire to connect a hose to SPDC
pipeline along the Chanomi creek in Delta State so as to illegally
siphon crude oil into barges.
”While in the Brigade Commander’s office, they promised to bribe
the Brigade’s Commander, with the sum of N20m as well as take
care of the officers and soldiers along the Chanomi creek.
”On 21 March 2014, one of the suspects brought to the Brigade
Commander $60,000 which translates to N10m being 50 per cent
of the N20m promised. The suspects were immediately arrested
for attempting to bribe the Brigade Commander for economic
sabotage.
”Twelve technicians who were to connect the hoses to facilitate
the theft and their implements were also arrested.”
He added that a follow up operation subsequently led to the arrest
of two Britons, who were in company of seven Nigeria policemen
led by an inspector.
The two Britons, according to the JTF commander were security
consultants from a United Kingdom- based port maritime security
firm with regional branch in Lagos.
”The two flew into Lagos on 20 March and left for Port Harcourt
same day where they met with a Nigerian (one Bello) who was
supposed to be their point of contact. The two Britons were to
provide security escort/consultancy to MT Crete, a vessel believed
to have been positioned at Brass open waters for suspected illegal
oil bunkering”.
Gen Awete revealed that all the suspects and exhibits were
transferred to JTF headquarters on March 23 for further
investigation adding that a joint investigation team was
immediately constituted to carry out a preliminary investigation
where all the suspects and witnesses were invited and also
examined the exhibits, documents and equipment recovered.
This include, the sixty thousand dollars offered to Brig Gen Azinta,
the six thousand five hundred dollars offered to Capt M Abdullahi
which were displayed to newsmen.
The suspects were later handed over to the Department of State
Security for prosecution.
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