Navy arrests 18 suspected smugglers, ship, 523 bags of rice
The Nigerian Navy in Akwa Ibom State has arrested 18 suspected smugglers and seized a ship and 523 bags of rice.
Six of the suspects were arrested in connection with the seized rice consignment while the 12 others were crew members on the ship.
Speaking, yesterday, in Ibaka during the hand-over of the ship, suspects and items to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Customs Service, Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Captain Reginald Adoki said the Navy is committed to ensuring that it works to rid the area of illegal maritime activities.
While receiving the ship and suspects from the Navy, the Uyo Zonal Head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulkarim Chukkoh, said the action of the ship and crew members was economic sabotage and the commission is at the forefront of effort to tackle such crimes.
Also speaking, the Controller, Eastern Marine Command, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt, Elton Edorhe, through his representative, Assistant Controller Ali Garko, thanked the Navy for the synergy, saying the suspects would be prosecuted accordingly.
But the captain of the seized ship, Bakpa Yerinmene, denied the involvement of his ship and crew in illegal bunkering, saying they were performing their legitimate duty when they were arrested. A mob yesterday set a suspected criminal and a police station ablaze in Oro town, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, over his alleged perennial criminal activities.
It was gathered that the mob Wednesday morning, besieged the police station, where the suspect, simply identified as Femi, was being detained, demanding that he be released to them for “proper judgement”.
It was also gathered that the suspect had always been in and out of police detention for several criminal offences in the past.
Witnesses said the police refused to yield to demand of the mob, and shot into the air to scare and disperse the growing number of unruly people. That however resulted in further confusion.
It was reported that the situation got uncontrollable for the police as the surging crowd forced its way and took out the suspect, set him ablaze and also burnt the police station.
Some sources in the community said the mob action was carried out by some aggrieved commercial motorcycle operators in the area, who had reportedly lost a member on Tuesday night. The sources said the deceased motorcycle operator had been tricked by some hoodlums, believed to include Femi, to a bush where they collected his motorcycle and also killed him.
The police public relations officer, Ajayi Okasanmi, was not available for comment on several attempts made to reach him.