The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Navy arrests

  • Navy arrests 16 US-bound stowaways

    Navy arrests 16 US-bound stowaways

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) yesterday apprehended 16 suspects including a Liberian who illegally boarded a merchant vessel in a bid to go to the United States (US)

    Fidelis Nsikak, Tobi Owoyele, Roland Richard, Edward Riy, Chima Eze, Arinze Pascal, Isaiah Smart, Taofeeq Lawal, Morphy Oche,  Ridwan Abdulahi, Kingsley Chukwu, Suleiman Quadri,  Ebuka Stephen, Ebuka Eze, Afeez Ariyo and Chikwendu Oyimedu were said to have stayed onboard the ship for about three days.

    The suspects, said to be casual workers at the port, it was gathered, sneaked into the vessel which had come to offload cements.

    It was gathered that 11 mobile phones and bags containing clothes and other personal items were recovered from them.

    Nsikak told The Nation  he had to leave the country by all means because he was tired of poverty.

    “I studied Electrical Engineering but got no job. I have been trying to do menial jobs yet, things are very hard. So, I started working casually at the port with the hope that one day, I would get the opportunity to leave this country.

    “I was onboard the shop for three days. I entered through the terminal as a casual worker. I planned my movement and had some food items and other things in my bag,” he said.

    Parading the suspects at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship  (NNS) BEECROFT, Commordore Maurice Eno said: “We received a distress call from the vessel on Friday morning notifying the navy of the presence of aliens on their vessel. Hence NNS KARADUWA, which was at sea, was deployed to the area.

    “In the course of arresting them, one of the suspects tried jumping and he sustained shoulder injury. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed that they were 15 Nigerians and a Liberian and they all boarded the ship with the hope of going to the U.S. for greener pastures.  They will be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) at the conclusion of investigation.”

  • Ship hijack: Navy arrests another suspect

    Ship hijack: Navy arrests another suspect

    •Releases, vessel, crew to owners

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) has arrested a key suspect in last month’s hijack of an oil tanker, MT MAXIMUS, off the coast of Sao Tome.

    This disclosure was made by the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Abraham Adaji, on Saturday while handing over the tanker to the Managing Director, Super Maritime Nigeria Limited, Rene Von Loenens.

    Although the name and nationality of the suspect was not given, it was learnt that the suspect and six ‘pirates’ earlier arrested would, at the end of investigation, handed over to the police for prosecution.

    Adaji, who disclosed that the vessel was recovered about 300 nautical miles south of Lagos and very close to Sao Tome, disclosed that nothing has been heard on the abduction of two crew members (Rohen and Sadiq) by some of the pirates.

    He said: “The suspects arrested would be prosecuted accordingly and the ship owners have undertaken to present crew members to come and testify if they are required in the course of investigation. The release of the vessel does not signify an end to the prosecution of the pirates that are currently under investigation. Preliminary investigations have been ongoing since February 22 in conjunction with international and civil police authorities.

    “We have come to a point that we can release the vessel and its crew to proceed on their businesses. So we are gathered to witness the formal handover of MT Maximus to the owner of the ship, as well as the international passports and travel document of the crew so that they will not be further hampered by these unfortunate incident from which they are still recovering.

    “The two kidnapped crew members were taken in a boat before the NN ship that rescued the vessel got to the scene. We do not have information of their whereabouts and the Navy has not been contacted for assistance.”

    While appreciating the navy for rescuing the vessel and its crew Loenen said the kidnappers have not made contacts with the ship company to demand ransom or for any other reason.

    The pirates had hijacked MT MAXIMUS, a Saudi Arabian oil tanker, chartered by a South Korean company carrying 4,700 metric tons of AGO off the coast of Cote D’Ivoire.

    They renamed the vessel MT ELVIS-5, after beating the 18 crew members to submission and holding them captive until the Nigerian Navy came to their rescue.

  • Navy arrests 20 vessels in six months, says CNS

    Navy arrests 20 vessels in six months, says CNS

    …..Destroy several illegal refineries, others

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) yesterday said it has arrested 20 vessels and destroyed 149 illegal refineries across the country since July.

    Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the annual sea inspection codenamed Exercise Treasure Guard held at the Onne Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Ibas also stated that a total of 149 illegal refineries, 19 barges, 75 large wooden boats and 93 auxiliary equipments were destroyed during the same period.

    He noted that the force’ sustained drive to curb criminality at sea was in line with his emphasis on zero tolerance for illegalities within the maritime environment.

    Ibas, who listed the major achievements of the NN this year, noted that there has been an aggressive sea patrols with at least five capital vessels patrolling the waterways on a daily basis, with at least 65 boats of various sizes patrolling numerous rivers and creeks.

    “In the reviewed period, the NN has also been more aggressive in her patrol. She had thus been deploying at least five ships on a daily basis to sea to carry out routine patrols.

    “Additionally, there are at least 65 boats of various sizes patrolling numerous rivers and creeks daily. The NN patrol operations cover crude oil theft and anti illegal bunkering operations, anti-kidnapping and anti-hostage taking operations, anti-illegal fishing and anti-marine pollution, as well as maritime safety and administration operations.”

    While flagging off the exercise, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, who represented the Minister for Defence, Gen. Mohammed Ali, said the sea exercise was a necessity for the navy because it was the only way to ascertain the operational state of the force.

    Commending the navy for its ability to maintain its ships in spite of all odds, the CDS lauded the NN’s drive at curbing crude oil theft and other maritime crimes.

     

  • Navy arrests five suspected sea pirates

    Naval officers from the NNS Victory at the weekend arrested five suspected sea pirates.

    The Commander of the NNS Victory, Cmd James Oluwole, told reporters that the suspects were arrested at Parrot Island, on the Calabar channel.

    Oluwole, who was represented by the Base Operation Officer, Commander Ifeanyi Okpala, said the suspects were on board a boat and on further scrutiny they discovered that one of them had a gunshot injury on his leg.

    According to him, they tried to evade arrest.

    “We brought them to base, investigation is still on,” he said.

    Cmd Oluwole said over the past few months, the naval base in Calabar has reduced the spate of pirate attacks on vessels.

    “In January, we had about 16 attacks, last month it was just one and this month, we have had no attack.

    “So our continued presence at sea has been able to reduce piracy. We would continue to provide necessary security to protect vessels on the Calabar channel.