By Emeka Ugwuanyi and Lucas Ajanaku
System 2B Pipeline of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has become notorious for oil theft, pipeline vandalism and the attendant explosions that accompany it, which results in loss of lives and properties.
NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, while fielding questions from reporters during his visit to the site, which left five people dead and properties worth hundreds of millions of Naira razed, assured Nigerians that the Corporation and the security agencies would look inward to fish out the bad elements among them.
Such bad elements connive with these vandals to perpetrate their evil acts, which leave sorrow and pains at last. He said there would be a wider collaboration to stem the menace and urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the NNPC.
He agreed that there are complicities of members of the security agencies, the NNPC and the communities in the act because these incidents happen in the communities and nobody reports to the Police or the security agencies, which make the vandals have their way.
“It is unfortunate this incident happened and we lost five lives while there are many more people who are in the hospital receiving some forms of treatment and that is pathetic for us. I think the right thing is to come and commiserate with the communities and Lagos State Government. However, what is happening around this pipeline – from Atlas Cove to Mosimi and all the way to Ilorin are acts of vandals of all nature along our Right of Way (RoW). They make insertions into our lines and tap petroleum products and at the end, this is the kind of disaster we get.
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“We are working with the security agencies to make sure that we reduce it to the barest minimum. We are also working particularly with the Navy, Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Police and other security agencies to contain this act to the barest minimum.
“Why this incident portends danger for all of us is that if it had occurred on a windy condition, we will be talking of thousands of people dying. However, Nigerians must know that these activities are happening among communities. People are aware of what is happening and allow them (vandals) to continue what they are doing. If we allow these vandals, they will kill all of us and everybody along this corridor would be impacted. Therefore, we do need the help and cooperation of the communities to expose these people they come.
As you can see, the point of this fire yesterday (Sunday) is in the visibility of everybody around here. That means you saw it and didn’t do anything about it. We are hoping and counting Nigerians help us to resolve this because it is a major national security concern.
“However, we are also happy that we have restored the line after the break, we shut down the line to contain the damage it can cause but now we are back on stream. Petroleum products are flowing all the way from Atlas Cove to Ilorin as we speak. But what is important is to sustain this operation, and to sustain it, everyone should cooperate with us.”
Stemming vandalism and oil theft
On ways to ensure that the nefarious act of pipeline vandalism and oil theft and the attendant disaster are stemmed sustainably and in view of allegations that some members of staff of NNPC, the monitoring security agencies, NNPC contractors and members of the communities collude with oil thieves, Kyari stated the actions are being taken. The allegations of complicities of these stakeholders in the theft arise because boring the pipeline to still oil requires a lot of expertise, knowledge and money. Therefore, it is not just business for anybody.
However, the NNPC chief agreed that he shares the same view and said explained what the Corporation is doing to stop these illicit activities and to bring the culprits to book. He said: “We are working with all the security agencies including the NNPC to take out the bad elements in our midst. We agree there are compromises within the NNPC, the security agencies, communities and everyone involved in this. What we have done in the last two months is work with these agencies and NNPC to make sure that we take out the bad elements out of us, resolve this issue and delete them if we need to do that and that is what we will do.
“For communities that harbor this act, the warning is that this act constitutes danger to all of us. For those who are particularly involved in tapping our petroleum products or laying pipes to their homes, the Governor and Lagos State Government have agreed we must take out these houses no matter who own them or what they do. Once we establish that your property is involved in this, we take it out.
“We are already doing that. So far, the Nigerian Navy has taken out over 300 houses along our pipeline Right of Way (RoW) and we will continue to do this. By the time we are done with this, sanity will come to this line we assure Nigerians that it will be safe for all of us.”
The Flag Officer, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji, who spoke on behalf of the security agencies, denied that the security agencies were not being lackadaisical about their job of securing the pipeline. He was asked why the incidents repeatedly happen without arrests and prosecution but each times it happens, all arms of the security agencies would flood the scene of the incident wielding arms. But after the dust settles, nothing happens.
Daji said: “In line with the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, we mobilized under “Operation Awase” involving all the security agencies – the Navy, Civil Defence, Police, Army and Air force to support the NNPC to clear the NNPC pipeline RoW all the way from Atlas Cove to Mosimi. It is an ongoing operation and we will be collaboration with the Lagos State Government to ensure the success of this operation.”
Daji said some arrests have been made. “We are working with the Department of State Security (DSS) to ensure that all the pieces of evidence are gathered to ensure diligent prosecution. It is not just enough to make arrest, so by the time the perpetrators are prosecuted, it will serve as deterrent,” he added.
To Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu 1, the act of pipeline vandalism and oil theft is driven by desire to make quick money. According to him, people no longer want to work to make money but do all manner of illegal and bad things to get easy wealth, which he condemned in its entirety. This is his words when the NNPC chief visited him after going to the scene of the incident.
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