Operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT have uncovered an Automated Gas Oil (AGO), a 400,000-litre capacity bunker at a private residence in the Lekki area of Lagos.
The discovery followed intelligence received by the Base that a gas tanker was seen loading at Elegushi Beach.
Handing over the suspects and recovered products to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at Silver Bird Road, Ilasun in Lekki, yesterday, the Commander, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Rafiu Taye Oladejo, said the suspects operated an unregistered company, Ahmed Ariyo Sons Nigeria Limited, in a residential neighbourhood.
He said Ariyo, two sisters and other suspects were running an illegal family business without a care for the safety of others.
“It’s worrisome that an apartment of this nature is serving as an illegal fuel depot undermining the economic and security implications on lives and properties.
“Eight tanks of 50,000 storage capacity each were kept in the compound with cumulatively 57,000 litres of AGO in them.
“The truck had 7,000 litres and the white TM bus had 30 jerry cans of 50 litres totalling 1,500 litres of AGO with an estimated market value of N89,000,000.
“There were 400 jerry cans and 13 drums carefully stocked inside another TM bus as well as in the compound.
“Yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, we got intelligence that a white bus was loading petroleum products at Elegushi Beach.
“We dispatched our Quick Response to the location. Before they could get there, both the boat and bus had disappeared.
“Our further surveillance of the white bus led to the discovery of this private apartment of an illegal fuel depot,” he said.
It was learnt that the estimated worth of all the storage facilities should they contain AGO to full capacity was N500 million.
Asked if there were other collaborators, Oladejo said: “It cannot be a one-man show. However, we are not relenting to tackle oil theft in all ramifications in consonance with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla’s directives to stamp oil theft out of the maritime environment.”