JTF impounds 1,000 tones of crude oil

The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta has impounded a vessel said to be carrying 1,000 tonnes of crude oil off the coast of Bonny Island, Rivers State.
This was disclosed by the Commander of the 2 Brigade and Sector Two of JTF, Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday.
Buratai, who paraded nine suspected crew members of the vessel, said the military made the arrest while the illegal tapping of the crude oil was ongoing.
Represented by the Public Relations Officer of the 2 Brigade, Michael Etete, Buratai said: “Following military intelligence report on Saturday, December 29, 2012, troops of Sector Two deployed in Bonny arrested a vessel registered MT Atlantic Star, illegally tapping crude oil from a pipeline.
“Further investigation is ongoing and the suspects will be handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps for prosecution.
“JTF restates its commitment toward stamping out oil theft, oil bunkering and other criminal activities within its area of responsibility in line with its mandate.”
The vessel is a Nigerian registered one and all the crew members are Nigerians.
But the Captain of the vessel, Rauf Rasak, said they were coerced into the illegal bunkering.
Rasak said the vessel was hijacked by six heavily armed gunmen.
He said: “The gunmen had threatened to kill us if we didn’t cooperate.
“We had no choice than to obey.
“While loading the vessel with the crude oil, men of the JTF approached us and the gunmen fled the scene.”