NSCDC intercepts boat loaded with smuggled fuel

  

the Marine squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogun State Command, early Wednesday morning intercepted a flying boat loaded with allegedly smuggled Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol along Badagry-Tongeji waterways, on its way to the Republic of Benin.

Our correspondent gathered that two flying boats were said to have been sighted near Kese waterfront at about 2.30am on Wednesday during the squad’s regular night patrol of the waterways that link Badagary, Araromi-Onfo, Akere and Tongeji Island to the Republic of Benin.

The state Public Relations Officer, NSCDC,  Kareem Olanrewaju, said the command’s operatives ordered the drivers of the boats to stop but they refused.

He said, “Instead of obeying the operatives, they pulled off in different directions. Our operatives pursued them, but one of the boats escaped into the Republic of Benin’s territorial waters, while the second was trapped in Nigerian waters.”

He said the two men inside the trapped boat jumped into the sea, while their boat and 67 jerry cans of petrol were recovered.

He said the jerry cans altogether contained 1,675 litres of petroleum products.

He noted that the petroleum products must have been stolen, arguing that “otherwise, the owners would have used the right route.”

Olanrewaju said consequently, the marine squad of the NSCDC has been instructed by the state’s Corps Commandant, Aboluwoye Akinwande, to commence 24-hour patrol in that axis to prevent illegal transportation of Nigeria’s petroleum products to neighbouring countries.