The Joint Task Force (JTF) clears the air on PDP Governorship Candidates Jarret Tenebe arrested. In a press released signed by Lieutenant Colonel MUSTAPHA ANKA, the Coordinator Joint Media Campaign Centre and was made available to CEOAFRICA news desk states: “The attention of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield has been drawn to an online publication with the above headline credited to Sahara Reporters. Paragraph 7 of the publication captured a story on how the Sector one Commander of the JTF whom he only referred as Commander 4 Brigade, Brigadier General F Azinta arrested one Jarret Tenebe and his accomplice, Mr Dunia for illegal oil bunkering through fraudlent evacuation of crude oil in the region and trying to bribed the Commander sector 1 or two and his officers withthe sum of $65,000.00 to enable them carry out the illicit business.
In the paragraph 10 of the same write up, the writer alleged that the suspects was moved from Benin to Bayelsa state and handed over to headquarters of the JTF. The move according to him was part of a design to release the suspects without prosecution which he added was facilitated by one of the aid to the President.
The JTF wishes to use this medium to categorically clear the air on the arrest of Mr Tereba Jerret to avoid misleading the general public based on the issues raised on the social media. The sector 1 of the JTF under the command of Brigadier General Fidelis Azinta on 17 March 2014 arrested two Britons and 12 Nigerians for illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta. They said persons were apprehended while trying to bribe the Commander with the sum of #11million and a promise additional #10 million to enable them illegally siphon petroleum product from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at Chanomi creek, Warri Delta State. Among the arrested suspects is Joshua Orupere who has been apprehended and paraded before the press in 2013 for a similar offence. He was arrested for the theft of 1.2 metric tons of crude oil loaded in two vessels along Sangana off the coast of Akassa in Bayelsa State.
The Sector 1 after preliminary investigation handed them over to the Headquarters JTF for further investigation and subsequent handing over to prosecuting agency. On 28 March 2014, the suspects, the bribe money and operational tools were paraded to the press at the Headquarters Joint Task Force before handing them over to the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) for further profiling. See Daily publications of The Nation Newspaper dated March 29 2014 and Daily Sun Newspaper of April 1, 2014. It is to be states that the DSS without delay charged the culprits to the High Court Yenagoa. The suspects were first arraigned on 10 April 2014; reappeared on 14 May 2014 and 9 July 2014 respectively. The next sitting of the case is scheduled to come up on Monday 29 September 2014.
The JTF wishes to reaffirm its determination to carry out the mandate of raiding off all sort of criminalities in the Niger Delta region while seeking for cooperation of all stakeholders, opinion leaders and general public by providing adequate information that will help in carrying out its mandate in line with the zero tolerance campaign of the Commander JTF against illegal oil bunkering and Oil theft in the Niger Delta. Lieutenant Colonel ANKA used the medium to advise the public and sections of the media to always shun rumours and endeavour to verify all information before publication.
