EXPOSED: List Of Nigerian Security Officers Engage In Oil Bunkering
Naija News House brings to you List Of Nigerian Security Forces Engage In Oil Bunkering
The National Coordinator of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Musa Saidu, has alleged that security agencies are involved in the illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
Mr Saidu made the allegations on Wednesday during an interview on Arise TV.
According to him, although the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has adopted measures to stop oil theft, its efforts are being jeopardised by the activities of the security agencies, which release vessels arrested.
He said: “NNPC Is doing its best to stop bunkering, but security agencies are not helping. Oil theft cannot occur without the connivance of security agencies. When illegal vessels are arrested, security agencies release them.”
The IPMAN coordinator added that despite the association’s reports submitted to the government, the security agencies have refused to act.
“There is no report, no report, no other identification of areas where this thing is going on or those that are involved even in person that have not been given to the government,” he said.
Mr Saidu narrated how an army major released an arrested vessel loading oil in a creek after taking orders from his superior.
“The idea involved is – when we identify where this is going on….. Let me give you an example. We identified a vessel loading in one of the Creeks rivers. We followed that vessel. We went down and arrested the vessel. You know, they alerted, you know, the GOC at that time.
‘Look, we have arrested a vessel.’ A major was assigned to look at the vessel, but later, the vessel was released.
“And when the vessel was released, I did not stop there. I went to the man and confronted him. ‘You cannot release this vessel.’ We are not paid by anybody how we march surveillance under the rain and everything to arrest this vessel.
“You know, as soldiers now, how they reacted…. we didn’t stop there. We wrote to the chief of defence staff that we could not waste this time, and this effort took this risk, and this vessel was released. Nothing happened. You know, the report I heard at that time from the defence minister was that they forgave the man. That was Danladi. You know, when I’m talking, I mention names.
“So what I’m saying is that NNPC has tried all it can to stop this oil theft, but nothing they can do. They don’t hold guns. They have arranged meetings between us and the security agencies to the higher hierarchy of security agencies.
“But as soon as you meet with them, and when we meet them, we bring results. Those who are involved do not listen. You know, even those that used to use gunboats and escorts as this vessel. We got their names, everything, all the names. And they don’t do anything. Yes, then they won’t do anything,” he said.
Mr Saidu restated that the government is helpless in stopping oil theft because the security agencies and the “big man” keep frustrating those efforts.
He said, “So what I am saying is that, you know, the government is helpless because the president will not go to the waterfront or the sea and fight bunkering.”
