The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has warned that there would be severe sanctions for criminal elements who engage in activities such as illegal bunkering and illegal refining of oil products, which is capable of sabotaging the economy of the country.
This was made known by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement he issued on Thursday.
Adejobi said Baba equally charged members of special teams set up to monitor, investigate, apprehend and prosecute purveyors of these crimes to renew their offensive against crimes and criminality, and professionally shun all manner of corruption so that offenders would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The IGP stated this while commending the IGP Task Force on the interception of a seagoing 12-compartments barge known as “Rainbow-I” with Registration No. 8765432.
The barge was laden with about 350,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil reasonably suspected to be illegally refined.
Also arrested were four suspects by the Inspector-General of Police Special Task Force on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering on June 10, 2021 at Slaughter Area of Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Preliminary investigations as well as analysis carried out on the samples by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority based in Port Harcourt confirmed that the product is adulterated and therefore unfit for sale to the public.
The Inspector-General of Police therefore warned all economic saboteurs to cease forthwith their criminal activities else the long arm of the law will catch up with them.
Buba equally tasked personnel of the IGP-STFPIB to be steadfast in discharging their responsibilities.
All suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations, Adejobi said.