The Nigerian Navy has set ablaze a vessel identified as ‘MV Cecilia’ with about 350,000 litres of stolen Automated Gas Oil also known as diesel in Woji, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The vandalised vessel, according to the Navy, had been inactive for two years, but was used as a storage tank for illegally refined products.
Commander of Operation Delta Safe Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferrera said, “The water tanks have been converted as a storage tank for these illegal products and the vessel has not been to sea for the past two years.”
Ferrera was represented by the maritime component commander of the Joint Task Force for Operation Delta Safe, South-South, Navy Commodore Adedokun Siyanbade.
Before it was set ablaze, two Naval gunboats manned with personnel had escorted the impounded vessel alongside a tug boat.
They pushed the vessel to a safe location in the sea where it gradually convulsed into flame. The process is reported to have lasted for two hours.
On August 16, personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder, Port Harcourt seized the MV Cecili vessel. Three suspects were arrested.