Oil thieves convert Fishing Trawlers to Tankers

The Nigerian Navy has exposed how unscrupulous Nigerians and their foreign collaborators are now converting fishing trawlers into oil tankers for illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta region. The converted ships, according to the Navy, venture into the creeks and rivers in the Niger Delta disguised as fishing trawlers to lift stolen crude oil. 

Naval patrol team on routine patrol that intercepted such trawlers found stolen crude instead of fish in all the vessels captured. Parading the crew of one of such vessels in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the navy raised the alarm that the activity was on the rise in the region.
The authorities of the Nigerian Navy, through the Command Operations Officer, Central Naval Command, Commodore Emmanuel Enemor, disclosed that the confession obtained from the captain of one of the seized vessels showed that fishing trawler were now being converted to motor tanker for the purpose of illegal bunkering. According to him, the captain of the seized vessel, MV DALAL, caught last week, confessed to the illegal lifting of 120,000 litres of diesel from illegal refineries at the Akassa creeks in the state.

Nigerian Navy Inaugurates Website on Crude Oil Theft

Nigerian Navy has inaugurated a new website on crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in order to create a channel through which information on how to curb the menace would be passed across to the citizenry, relevant stakeholders and concerned authorities.

This was contained in a statement by the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu.

Aliyu said the move was in furtherance of the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan on October 8, 2012 to the Nigerian Navy to ensure that crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism are wiped out from the nation’s maritime environment.

He explained that the website, www.cot.navy.mil.ng provides details relating to exploration, nominations, approvals, movement and trans-shipment of petroleum products as promulgated by relevant authorities.

The Naval spokesman further explained that the website would serves as a platform to share information, exchange ideas with the international community and report suspicious activities.
He said the website would also generate the desired global awareness on the scourge of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

Crude Oil Theft: NNPC, Inter-Agency C’ttee seek co-operation

 Following President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive and inauguration of the committee to initiate measures that will bring an end to illegal crude oil business in the country, the NNPC has expressed its determination to collaborate with other government agencies to achieve same, stating that as an indispensable player in maritime business, it must rise to the occasion in such a time as this.

 According to a statement from the acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs of the Corporation, Fidel Pepple, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu was quoted to have said this when the inter-agency maritime operation committee paid him a courtesy call in his office.

Yakubu noted that NNPC as a corporate entity takes part in the maritime business both locally and internationally must rise-up to the occasion along with other government agencies to confront and bring to book unscrupulous individuals that have deprived and depleted the nation’s economy as a result of their illegal maritime business.

Yakubu said that “the maritime industry significantly impacts on our industry and we really do appreciate efforts of Mr. President to address particularly issues that border on crude oil theft. We are ready to support the various initiatives of the Federal Government so as to stem the embarrassing trend of illegal bunkering in the maritime industry. We know the impact of bunkering and crude oil theft on our economy and our environment. These are vices that we must collectively stamp out of our nation. We cannot claim that we are helpless.”

Members of the inter-agency maritime operation committee are drawn from the NNPC, Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Customs, Police, SSS and the judiciary.