OIL THEFT: Group disagrees with NNS Delta commander
By Emma Amaize
WARRI- THE Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged,
CENTREP, Warri, Delta State, weekend, differed with the
Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Navy
Commodore Aliyu Sule, that slow pace of adjudication was a
major cause of oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
Executive Director of the group, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, in a
statement, said, “We say that the high level of connivance by
security agents serving in the region with oil thieves in the area
and not the slow pace of adjudication in our law courts as
suggested by the Naval boss is the major factor for oil
bunkering.”
It, however, agreed with the commander that impunity was a
contributing factor to persistent oil bunkering.
The group said, “We believe that it is almost impossible for a
country like Nigeria to be losing a whopping amount of 30
million barrels of crude oil per day to oil thieves without the
connivance of top politicians from the area and security
personnel.”
CENTREP stated that officials of the Army, Navy, Airforce, Police
and the Department of Security Services, saddled with the
responsibility of providing security in the area were aiding and
abetting oil thieves.
“Little wonder, the naval boss claimed in his recent interview
with news men that in one of her command’s operation to rid
his area of operation of oil thieves, he and his men raided Kantu
forest in Delta state twice within a space of three weeks to
destroy illegal refineries in the forest.
“The above clearly corroborates the fact that there is
connivance in the illicit business between security agents and oil
thieves in the area, hence our call on the Federal Government to
turn its search lights on all her security agents in the region,
including their bank accounts,” the group asserted.
CENTREP suggested, “In the alternative, government should
grant operational licenses to interested persons in the area to
operate modular refineries to refine crude oil as a way of
supporting our ailing four refineries, and to generate income into
the Federation Account, and providing employment to her
teeming youths in the region.”
“It is worthy of note that many of the oil theft cases that find
their way to court are often dead on arrival as they are heavily
compromised by security agents,” the group added.
WARRI- THE Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged,
CENTREP, Warri, Delta State, weekend, differed with the
Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Navy
Commodore Aliyu Sule, that slow pace of adjudication was a
major cause of oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
Executive Director of the group, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, in a
statement, said, “We say that the high level of connivance by
security agents serving in the region with oil thieves in the area
and not the slow pace of adjudication in our law courts as
suggested by the Naval boss is the major factor for oil
bunkering.”
It, however, agreed with the commander that impunity was a
contributing factor to persistent oil bunkering.
The group said, “We believe that it is almost impossible for a
country like Nigeria to be losing a whopping amount of 30
million barrels of crude oil per day to oil thieves without the
connivance of top politicians from the area and security
personnel.”
CENTREP stated that officials of the Army, Navy, Airforce, Police
and the Department of Security Services, saddled with the
responsibility of providing security in the area were aiding and
abetting oil thieves.
“Little wonder, the naval boss claimed in his recent interview
with news men that in one of her command’s operation to rid
his area of operation of oil thieves, he and his men raided Kantu
forest in Delta state twice within a space of three weeks to
destroy illegal refineries in the forest.
“The above clearly corroborates the fact that there is
connivance in the illicit business between security agents and oil
thieves in the area, hence our call on the Federal Government to
turn its search lights on all her security agents in the region,
including their bank accounts,” the group asserted.
CENTREP suggested, “In the alternative, government should
grant operational licenses to interested persons in the area to
operate modular refineries to refine crude oil as a way of
supporting our ailing four refineries, and to generate income into
the Federation Account, and providing employment to her
teeming youths in the region.”
“It is worthy of note that many of the oil theft cases that find
their way to court are often dead on arrival as they are heavily
compromised by security agents,” the group added.
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