The Nigerian Navy says it has foiled an attack by sea pirate on three merchant vessels around Brass waterways in Bayelsa State.

The Director of Information of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore CHRISTIAN ODOGWU EZEKOBE said MV MOXON, MT AFRICAN BEAUTY and MT MADONA came under attack on 3rd and 4th of May.Commodore EZEKOBE said it took the timely intervention of the special protective team deployed by the Nigerian Navy to successfully dislodge the pirates.The Naval spokesman also confirmed that a naval patrol team deployed by NNS PATHFINDER on 4th May discovered and destroyed two active illegal crude oil refineries located at NAFCON creek.He said the refineries had seven storage tanks containing about ten thousand litres of stolen crude oil and twenty thousand litres of illegally refined diesel.Commodore EZEKOBE said the patrol team also destroyed a warehouse used by the criminals to hide illegally refined products, which is located at Ikpokiri community in Rivers State.EZEKOBE said the naval authorities have uncovered a new tactics by the crude oil thieves who now use warehouses to hide stolen crude and illegally refined products.He said the Nigerian Navy has therefore warned owners of warehouses in the Niger Delta to avoid the temptation of leasing out their properties to such criminals. The Nigerian Navy said it will not be held responsible for damages done to the properties in the course of the ongoing clampdown on crude oil theft, vandalism and piracy in the area.