The Nigerian Navy has taken action against illegal oil bunkering by setting fire to the vessel MV OFUOMA at Abuloma jetty in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The vessel, carrying around 20,000 illegally refined products, was seized by the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe, along with a wooden boat used for transferring the illicit products.
After confirmation from the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority that the products were indeed illegally refined, the vessel and wooden boat were destroyed in a safe location far from the shore. Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, Commander of Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe, emphasized that this action aligns with their mission to combat crude oil theft, vandalism, and criminal activities.
Another vessel, MV CECELIA, which was apprehended on August 25, 2023, had already been destroyed in a similar manner. Rear Admiral Ferreira expressed the commitment of the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe to eradicate these illegal activities in the Niger Delta Region.
