Oil industry executives have applauded the Joint Military Task Force (JTF�s) renewed offensive against illegal oil bunkering, demanding that the JTF should be resolute in dealing with perpetrators of oil theft.
The commendation came in the wake of the recent arrest of 15 Filipinos and a Greek in a vessel, MT Lina Panama laden with 150,000 metric tonnes of crude oil on suspicion of stealing the oil. They were arrested on waters in brass Local Government area of Bayelsa State by men of the JTF.
A top official of Shell said that the arrest of the crude oil thieves was good provided it is not a one off thing. “If some people are arrested today and no further arrest is made for a long time while the stealing of crude oil continues, this particular effort will be in futility,” the official who did not wish to be named said.
“Those who steal the crude are doing the economy no good and until the government and the security agencies take serious stand against this, Nigeria�s economy would continue to be hampered and the militancy would go on unabated as that is the source of the strength of the criminals in the Niger Delta.”, the source added.
In addition, the stakeholders said JTF should come clean on allegations of complicity in the controversy surrounding the multi-million dollar oil theft business in Nigeria.
The stakeholders called for the military task force to purge itself of elements within its ranks alleged to be encouraging illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, where Nigeria loses 190,000 barrels per day of crude, representing 10 percent of the country�s 1.9 million barrels per day daily out to theft. Over $2.4 billion has been lost to the oil thieves in the last six months. Part of the proceeds is used to fund criminal activities in the region.
To Billy Gills-Harry, president of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), although the JTF did well to arrest the foreigners allegedly with stolen oil it was still early in the day to say if the effort would be sustained to stamp out oil theft in Nigeria.
“This is just the first case. Although I commend the JTF for that move, but I would rather demand that the body should purge itself of some elements within its ranks that encourage those people who engage in oil theft,” Harry stated.
It is thought that those behind oil theft and sabotage in Nigeria are highly organised gangs with national and international linkages.
Austin Opara, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives said some of the security agents sent to maintain peace in the Niger Delta are involved in oil bunkering.
“Unfortunately, some of the security forces connive with other criminal elements to engage in bunkering. Bunkering is different from vandalism. If the people engage in vandalism in protest against marginalisation, that one is a different thing. But bunkering means you use high technology to open the pipes and siphon crude oil. Those pipes are high-pressure pipes and it is only experienced people that have the technology to open it. The boys in the creeks do not have what it takes to open these pipes. Some security agents are involved,” he explained.
The former deputy speaker said bunkering would be a thing of the past if the security forces became committed to their jobs.
Opara�s view is echoed by Alderson Danson Karibo Fabby, national president, Niger Delta League of Minerals, Oil and Gas Producers (NIDELMOGPROs), who also called on the JTF to arrest the “big time” bunkerers who operate on the high seas.
The suspects arrested Friday by the JTF in connection with vessel suspected to carry 150,000 metric tonnes of Nigeria�s crude oil are still being interrogated by the operatives of the Force.
Wuyep Rimtip, JTF unit commander in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State who confirmed this yesterday to Business Day said the force is only conducting preliminary, though intensive investigations on the issue and would soon hand the suspects over to a higher authority for further scrutiny and onward prosecution.
According to him, the suspects have not disclosed their Nigerian collaborators. However, it was gathered that another two vessels on the same bunkering mission were waiting in Cotonou to enter Nigerian waters.
Rimptip assured that their mission can no longer be accomplished, noting that “we know that with the arrest, they may want to retrace their steps or may even device other strategies to enter Nigeria waters, but JTF is on the look out to apprehend them no matter their strategies.”
He confirmed that the apprehended vessel took off from Greece and landed in Cotonou, where the mode of operation was fine-tuned before entering Nigerian waterways for the alleged illicit oil deal.
Meanwhile, Omale Ochatwuba, a major in the Nigerian army and spokesman of the JTF in Warri, Delta State told Business Day in an interview yesterday that the arrested 15 Filipinos and one Greek were still being interrogated at the JTF command in Abuja, after which decision would be taken on whether they should be prosecuted.