AMCON, Police intercept stolen Dredger, arrest four suspects in Delta
Four suspects were yesterday arrested over alleged diversion of a dredger along Ifiekporo community river, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, as one of the suspects said he was instructed by his employer to drive the dredger to another location.
The arrest was affected by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Officers of the Nigeria Police Force “B” Division, Marine Police in conjunction with Local Vigilantes Group of Nigeria. The arrests were affected based on information.
It was gathered that the dredger has been subject of litigation as AMCON earlier seized and took inventory of the dredger from one Chief Oki, Chief Executive Officer of Wokson Construction Company over alleged debt running into several billions of naira.
Our reporter also gather rather than coming to pay his bills, Chief Oki allegedly sent his workers to illegally tow the dredger from Ugbuwangue Waterside on Sunday to an unknown destination. One of the four suspects who is the Master Dredger, Timothy Nwachukwu (45years) in a chat with newsmen stated that his boss sent him on the errand stressing that, “Na worker I be for here o”. Nwachukwu who is from Ikeduru community in Imo State and the others are cooling off their heels at the Police Station “B” Division in Warri.
The Managing Partner, Mr. Oniawu-Thomas Eghobamien led the Police to the community for the interception and arrests on behalf of the Receiver Manager, Chief Robert Ohuba & Co Legal Practitioners in Edo State.
Eghobamien expressed happiness that the dredger was recovered from the suspects insisting that the prime suspect must be arrested with the necessary actions taken against him while the dredger has been relocated to a jetty at Enerhen community in Uvwie Local Government Area.
Contacted, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officers, DSP Andrew Aniamaka did not pick calls or reply text messages put across to his mobile phone line. but later confirmed the incident.
Meanwhile, there was weeping and wailing on Tuesday night as property worth several millions of naira, including one house and 12 stores, were destroyed in a fire incident, sparked by a loaded tanker accident at Ifie community, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was gathered that the accident occurred at about 9:00pm, involving a tanker with plate number XA 331 LTD, which had loaded the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from Pinnacle Oil and Gas Depot at Ifie community before the ugly incidence that threw the entire community into panic occurred.
Community sources attributed the incident to bad state of the road, adding that the tanker was said to have tripped on the badly damaged Ifiekporo-Ubeji Road, resulting in the fire which spread to the road side and razed property.
“A petroleum Tank laden product gutted fire around the private depots at Ifie community, after the Warri Refinery and two houses were affected in the inferno.
No causality but property were lost and took frantic efforts of people and firefighters in the area that help stop the fire from spreading”, a source, Ojobor Cogent, narrated.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Warri South Council, Mofe Edema, who visited the scene said quick response to distress calls by fire service organizations curtailed further spread of the fire as well as prevented loss of lives.
Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
