The joint task force arrested illegal bunkering barge, tanker and scuttled illegal distillery camps, in its intensified effort at curbing illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism and other sundry crime in the Niger Delta.  The anti illegal Bunkering troops of Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force deployed at Kalatoro community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa state has intercepted and arrested an illegal oil bunkering Barge laden with unascertained stolen quantity of crude oil.  The Barge Christened Gracious Enduer is anchored at Kalatoro water ways waiting to be towed pending preliminary investigation before handing over to prosecuting agency.
 
News reaching CEOAFRICA’s desk today reveals that operatives of the anti illegal oil bunkering and oil theft of the Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield led by the Deputy Commander JTF, Commodore Henry Ekpa has invaded an illegal crude oil camp site in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa state scuttling several illegal bunkering point and Cotonou boats laden with suspected illegally acquired crude oil near Oboma flow station.  The suspects’ on sighting troops absconded thereby abandoning the Cotonou boats.  The boat and its content were set ablaze in situ.
 
According to Lieutenant Colonel Mustapha Anka, the coordinator of JMCC in a press release, the Deputy Commander also visited troops of the JTF deployed in Okporoma House Boat in Nun River, Shell Petroleum Development Company Flow Station and Igbamatoru House Boat where he addressed officers and men of the Task Force on the need to cue into the Zero Tolerance campaign of the Commander JTF, Major General Emmanuel Atewe.  He enjoined them to carry out their job professionally while warning them to desist from any act capable of tarnishing the good image of the Task Force.  “Integrity should be your watch ward and the code of conduct of the JTF must be followed strictly”.
 
Commodore Ekpa also visited and rally with the operators of the JTF House boats and platforms where he urged them of the need to be up and doing.  The Deputy Commander was accompanied on the visit by some Components Commanders.
 
Also in line with code observant of JTF code of conduct and Rule of Law in the operations, the JTF has released a Barge Chrestined BEKENEDE to its owners.  The Barge was arrested for alleged illegal bunkering activities but was found upon investigation not culpable which made the Defence Headquarters authorize its release. 
 
In  another development the JTF in its efforts to eliminate oil theft in the Niger Delta region, Operatives of the Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD has intercepted and arrested a tanker loaded with over 33,000 liters of substance suspected to be stolen Automated Gas Oil (AGO) at Ogale in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. The arrest which took place at about 4am on Sunday was carried out by the anti oil bunkering patrol team of the Sector 2 of JTF patrolling along Ogale Nchia in Eleme LGA of the state. The hoodlums were rounded up on their way from the pipeline where they just concluded siphoning the product from a vandalized pipeline. 
However, the driver of the tanker who identified himself as Chukwudi Orakwe pleaded that he was acting on orders given to him by one Mr Samson Nyimeone and that he never knew he was to go and load AGO from an illegal loading point. When contacted, Mr. Nyimone, who claimed to be a kerosene dealer registered with the NNPC denied knowledge of the illegal bunkering activity saying that he only linked the tanker with one man named Peter and his partner who was not identified.