The Akwa Ibom State Marine Police has successfully intercepted a large wooden boat and arrested two suspects for the unlawful possession of petroleum products and economic sabotage.
DSP Timfon John, the Police Public Relations Officer for Akwa Ibom State Police command, in a press release on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, said that the “operation took place on August 2, 2025, at approximately 0530 hours, in the Okposo waterway within the Mbo Local Government Area.”
The PPRO said upon intelligence gathering, its operatives mobilised two gunboats to the location where a large wooden boat was sighted, laden with what is suspected to be stolen crude oil.
Accordingly, Marine Police apprehended two suspects as well as recrecovered the boat and its contents.
The vessel, the PPRO said, was reportedly sailing towards the maritime border between Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon.
It is suspected that the petroleum product must have been stolen from the weir head of an oil pipeline.
The press release read: “Acting on a credible intelligence, the Marine Police mobilised two gunboats to the location where a large wooden boat was sighted, laden with what is suspected to be stolen crude oil.
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“The vessel was reportedly sailing towards the maritime border between Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon.
“The swift action of the Marine Police led to the apprehension of the two suspects and the recovery of the boat and its contents. The petroleum product is believed to have been stolen from the weir head of an oil pipeline.”
She assured that further investigation is ongoing on the matter.
