Oil Theft: Navy Hands Barge, TUG Over To EFCC

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) DELTA has handed over the impounded TUG MV STEPH 1 and Barge SIMI to the officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The arrested vessels, laden with product suspected to be stolen Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO), were handed over to the anti-graft agency on Wednesday at the NNS DELTA Jetty. Commander88 Samuel Musa, the Base Operations Officer (BOO) of NNS DELTA released the vessels to the EFCC on behalf of the Commander, NNS DELTA, Commodore Chindo Yahaya. Addressing newsmen, Yahaya said that Barge SIMI was impounded with about 120,000 litres of product suspected to be AGO at Workson Jetty, Edjeba, on the NPA Expressway in Warri South. He said that TUG MV STEPH 1 was arrested at KFT Yard, Edjeba on the NPA Expressway while discharging suspected AGO into some rubber tanks. The commander said that the two vessels were arrested on July 6. “On July 6, 2023, NNS DELTA arrested Barge SIMI, laden with about 120,000 litres of product suspected to be AGO at Workson Jetty, Edjeba on the NPA Expressway. “The barge was without necessary documents and approvals. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the product is an accumulation of Remnants On Board (ROB) from various vessels. “Accordingly, Barge SIMI is hereby handed over to the EFCC for detailed investigation and further necessary action. “Similarly, On July 6, 2023, NNS DELTA also arrested TUG MV STEPH I at KFT Yard, Edjeba on the NPA Expressway in Warri,” he said. Yahaya said that TUG MV STEPH 1 was caught discharging product without necessary documentation, and approvals adding that it was consequently detained and taken to NNS DELTA. “Accordingly, TUG MV STEPH 1 is hereby handed over to the EFCC for detailed investigation and further necessary action,” he said. Yahaya said that the NNS DELTA was poised to rid-off its area of illegal activities or operations. He warned those who indulged in such illegalities to desist forthwith. Mr Gomina Suru, Assistant Cdr. EFCC Two, Benin Zonal Command led officials of the anti-graft agency to receive the vessels on behalf of the Commission. “I am directed by the EFCC Two, Benin Zonal Command to take over the TUG and Barge from the NNS DELTA for the furtherance of investigation.” Officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) were on ground to collect samples of the product. 

Naval Forces Intercept Vessel Involved In Unlawful Bunkering Operations

The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS BEECROFT has thwarted illegal bunkering within the Igboelejo community area of Lagos State and seized the boat used for the criminal activity. The Commander, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Lagos at the weekend. Oguntuga said that the feat was made possible in response to intelligence received on Thursday, through the state-of-the-art Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment. He said that the vessel contained 205 drums of a substance suspected to be Premium Motor Spirit and other products. “The patrol team vectored to the specified area successfully apprehended a large blue fibre boat suspected to be engaged in illegal bunkering. “The patrol team acted with precision, securing the vessel and promptly transporting it to the base,” he said. The commander said that regrettably, the perpetrators abandoned the boat and fled upon sighting the patrol team. “However, investigation and necessary actions to ensure appropriate handling of the incident is ongoing,” the NNS BEECROFT boss added. He said that the operation underscored the navy’s unwavering commitment under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, to ensure safety in the maritime domain. “We will continue to ensure and sustain maritime security and eradicate illicit activities that can trigger fire hazard in coastal communities and within our maritime domain,” he said. Oguntuga appealed to the general public to provide necessary information to nip catastrophic incidents in the bud before they occurred. He added that the navy remained steadfast in its mission to maintain a safe and secure maritime environment for the prosperity of the nation.

Crude Oil Theft: Nigeria has lost N16.25trn in 11 years, says Speaker

Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas on Thursday said that Nigeria lost N16.25 trillion to crude oil theft between 2009 and 2020. The speaker said this while inaugurating the ad hoc committee to investigate crude oil theft and loss of revenue in Abuja. He said the menace of crude oil theft had hampered the growth of the country’s oil production, with between five and 30 per cent of crude oil production lost daily. He said that critical agencies in the oil and gas sector like the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Ministry of Petroleum Resources among others failed to honour invitation. Represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Upstream, Al-Hassan Ado-Doguwa, the speaker said if decisive action was not taken to address the issue, the country may be thrown into a deeper fiscal crisis. This according to him is due to dwindling revenue from the oil and gas sector. Quoting data from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Abbas said Nigeria’s oil production declined from 2.51 million barrels per day in 2005 to 1.77 million barrels per day in 2020. He said “NEITI reports also show that 619 million barrels of crude valued at 46 billion dollars were stolen in the period 2009 to 2020″. He added that Nigeria had continually failed to meet its daily production quota as set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). According to him, recently, Nigeria’s OPEC quota was reduced from 1.742 million barrels per day to 1.38 million barrels per day. “Yet, the country is still struggling to meet this quota as daily production output was 1.184 million barrels per day and 1.249 million barrels per day in May and June 2023 respectively. “On the average, current daily production output is a far cry from the budget assumption of 1.69 million per day. The implication is clearly manifest in the economic crisis that the country is facing.” He said the nation had been facing a major fiscal crisis, adding that global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine had continued to cast a cloud of uncertainty on the oil and gas industry. Al-hassa Runrum, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee said the volume of losses occasioned by oil theft in the country and its associated impact on the economy was unacceptable. He said this would not be tolerated by any government, who sincerely loves its citizens. He added that such act of sabotage and breach on the nation’s security and sovereignty makes a caricature of the nation’s pride “It is an affront on the government and its institutions, which must be tackled without further delay,’’ he said. He said the committee was determined to bring the ugly trend to an end otherwise there might be no future for “our children who have not yet “jappered’’ to other countries in search of survival.”