The Nigerian Navy has arrested eight suspects and seized a wooden boat conveying 4,000 bags of suspected illegally mined black sand in Bayelsa State over failure to provide valid documentation for the mineral cargo.
The Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) FORMOSO handed over the suspects, vessel and cargo to the Nigeria Police Force in Ologbobiri, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, for further investigation.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Base Information Officer, FOB FORMOSO, SLT Joshua Dauda.
According to the statement, the interception occurred at about 7:58pm on November 11 at the Tebidaba 2 Houseboat, where eight crew members onboard the vessel were arrested.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the boat’s manager, identified simply as Mr Abraham, failed to produce valid documentation authorising the transportation of the mineral resources.
The statement added that a document later submitted by a man identified as Mr Theophilus, who claimed ownership of the cargo, was also found insufficient to establish the legitimacy of the operation.
“The suspected boat and cargo were secured at Tebidaba 2 Houseboat for further investigation. However, the vessel was later discovered to be in a poor state with severe water ingress,” the statement said.
It disclosed that the suspects, alongside the boat and its contents, were handed over to the police at about 10:30pm in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Security Coordinator.
The Commanding Officer of FOB FORMOSO, Capt. Sunday Haruna, commended the personnel for their vigilance and professionalism.
Haruna said the interception demonstrated the base’s commitment to safeguarding the maritime environment, curbing the illegal exploitation of natural resources and preventing criminal activities along the waterways.
He also urged miners to obtain the necessary approvals from both federal and state governments before engaging in mining or transporting mineral resources.
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