Oil Theft: FG Defends Destruction of Vessel, No Investigation Needed

According to the Federal Government, security personnel’s quick destruction of an oil bunkering vessel was in accordance with the rules of engagement.

General Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff, made this statement on Friday during a meeting of the National Security Council with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Villa in Abuja.

Security personnel then set the “instrument of operation” on fire after the vessel was allegedly caught in the act, according to Irabor, adding that no inquiry is required to carry out the action.

He said, “There are various approaches, various solutions to a problem and at any time based on certain factors, certain considerations, available to those that are at the frontline, actions are taken based on the directive which are contained in the rules of engagement.

“So, the burning of the vessel, it is because the thief was caught in the act and the procedure, if you are caught in the act, is that everything you are using to undertake that criminal activity should be destroyed and that was done.

“What investigation do you need that you find somebody who decided to deplore several pumping machines and has several hoses that are deployed to a dug-out pit where crude oil is stored over a period?

“It was caught in the act. So, the instrument of operation was what was destroyed. I think it is straightforward. Whether that is the best is a different matter entirely but did they act in line with the rules of engagement? Yes, they did.” 

Security agents recently destroyed a vessel used for crude oil theft off the Niger Delta creeks after the vessel was reportedly arrested by a newly-contracted private pipeline surveillance team, Tantita Security Services led by a former militant leader, Government Ekpemepulo, popularly known as Tompolo.

The security forces’ decision to destroy the vessel sparked outrage from some Nigerians, who felt that the vessel should have been saved as evidence so that the owners of the vessel could be brought to justice.

Subsequently, the House of Representatives declared that it will look into the circumstances surrounding the security agents’ destruction of the oil bunkering vessel.

With unfathomable amounts of oil being stolen by select cabals in the oil industry for years, oil theft has turned into a deadly cancer in Nigeria. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited recently claimed to have discovered an illicit oil connection from Forcados Terminal that had been operating illegally for nine years and had lost roughly 600,000 barrels of oil per day during that time.

Similarly, Tompolo said about 58 illegal oil points have been discovered so far since the operation to end oil theft on the waterways of Delta and Bayelsa states began.

On Thursday, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State said the Federal Government has failed in the oil and gas business and should get out of the sector.

El-Rufai, who called for the privatisation of the NNPC said the company has been declaring profit without dividends.

The governor said that whatever the government manages turns out bad and noted that the sectors doing well in the country like entertainment, telecoms, fintech and others have no government involvement.

GOGAN TV