Metro

I Receive N50k To Secure Vessel Used For Storing Stolen Crude Oil — Suspect

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2023

Men of Operation Delta Safe, OPDS, have arrested three suspected crude oil thieve and seized a vessel and two tankers used in carrying out illegal activities in Rivers State.

The OPDS operatives seized the vessel used by oil thieves to store their products at the moment in Port Harcourt and arrested one suspected from the vessel, yesterday, but arrested the two tankers used in transporting illegally gotten petroleum products and two suspects, last week.

The suspect arrested from the vessel, Paul Obriku, who hails from Cross Rivers State, confessed that the oil thieves who use the vessel for their operations bring crude into the vessel with GeePee tanks and that he is paid N50,000 to secure the said vessel.

Obriku maintained that he is a civilian security personnel taking charge of the vessel, claiming that he did not know that the petroleum products loaded in the facility were stolen.

He said: “I am working in this vessel as security since there are no crew and the vessel is not working. I am here to secure the vessel for now. I know they use to bring crude oil to this place, but I do not know if it is illegal or not. They use to bring the products with Geepee tanks through fiber boats.

“There are people that are above me that authorize them to bring the products here. Sometimes I will be inside and they will be operating. I am being paid N50 thousand a month and I do not know it is an illegal vessel.

“I am only here to secure the boats. The people do bring products morning afternoon and night. There are two directors their names are Solo and Jasper. There are other people that are working here, but they are not always here.”

However, the OPDS Commander, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, said the seizures were made during covert operations based on credible intelligence over illegalities involving the vessels.

Ferreira, who was represented by the Marine Component Commander of OPDS, Commodore Adedokun Siyanbade, said the operation was conducted, Tuesday, and that the operation led to the arrest of MV Cecelia Imo, a vessel that ought to be a service boat, but has been converted to a storage tank for illegally refined products suspected to be AGO.

He said: “The vessel has a capacity of 350,000 litres, even the water tank has been converted into a fuel storage tank for this illegal product and the vessel hasn’t been to sea for the past 2years. It was expected to be under maintenance whereby illegal refiners bring their products for storage and sales.

“The vessel has been arrested and necessary procedures will be taken in line with extant regulations binding on OPDS operations.”

Ferreira noted that a suspect was arrested from the vessel, adding that there was no captain as the vessel has not been in its original use.

He said: “In Rivers State last Monday two tankers were also arrested with about 33,000 litres of crude oil by joint sector 3 of OPDS, made up of land component and marine component. They were caught siphoning oil from a dugout pit.

“For this vessel and those tankers, necessary action will be taken in line with extant regulation against them.

“On this vessel, a suspect was arrested and the engineer on board the vessel is still at large. Invariably the vessel has no captain since it has not been at sea for a long time, those on board are only the engineers and the deck hands, but we were only able to arrest the deck hands that was found on board late yesterday evening.”
VANGUARD

Metro

Edo Final-year Student Dies In Sign-out Motorcade Crash

Published

5 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.

It was learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.

Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.

The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.

“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”

Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.

The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.

NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.

“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.

“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, NAN reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.

“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.

“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” NAN quoted Mathew as saying.

Metro

One Dies In Oyo Fire, Two Rescued

Published

5 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

One person lost her life in a fire incident at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground, Iwo Road, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

He said the fire resulted from a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials.

Akinwande added that the firefighting operation was successfully carried out with the support of officers of the Federal Fire Service.

“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.

“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.

“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.

“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.

In a related development, a fire incident on Tuesday engulfed the Agric Business Development Agency at Total Garden in Ibadan.

A statement by the State Fire Service Chairman, Akinwande, said the agency received a telephone call through Mr Akinyinka reporting that fire had ravaged the place.

“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.

“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.

“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.

“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.

The chairman, therefore, advised the public to always use correct cables and other electrical materials for their installations.

Metro

Three Die, Several Injured In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Crash

Published

7 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A fatal crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday claimed three lives and left several others seriously injured, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has said.

LASTMA, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, said the accident occurred near the Secretariat, heading towards the Otedola Bridge.

According to the agency, three vehicles were involved in the collision.

“Three vehicles were involved in the collision, resulting in three fatalities and several serious injuries.

“LASAMBUS [Lagos State Ambulance Service] personnel are on the scene, providing medical attention to the injured victims,” it stated.

Emergency responders from LASAMBUS were on the scene administering medical care to the injured victims, while LASTMA officers and personnel of the Nigerian Police Force were also present, managing traffic and maintaining order.

Efforts, according to LASTMA, are underway to clear the crash site and restore normal traffic flow.

Motorists were advised to exercise caution when approaching the area.