The Nation Newspaper

Tag: bunkering

  • JTF uncovers illegal bunkering in Rivers

    JTF uncovers illegal bunkering in Rivers

    •32 barges, boats seized
    •Eight suspects arrested

    The Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, has uncovered as illegal bunkering at Onne Port in Rivers State.

    It was learnt that the JTF operatives stormed the port on Tuesday and impounded 32 long barges and Cotonou boats suspected to be used for bunkering.

    The JTF’s monitoring team recently set up by the commander, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, was said to have received information that people were using the port to indulge in oil theft.

    A source, who partook in the operation, said many of the barges were laden with products believed to have been sourced from illegal refineries in the creeks close to the port.

    The source, who pleaded anonymity, said on sighting the JTF, people on board the vessels abandoned them and ran into the creeks.

    He said some of them dived into the water and swam to safety, adding that operators of illegal refineries used Cotonou boats to load the barges.

    The source said one of the barges was loaded with Automated Gas Oil (AGO), adding that the vessel had the capacity to carry 5,000 metric tons or 582,000 litres of the product.

    Describing such activities as a rape on the economy, he lamented that they were being carried out despite the presence of operatives of another security agency.

    The source said Atewe and the JTF’s Chief of Staff, Col. Hilary Nzan, led the Onne raid, adding that samples of the products were taken for laboratory analysis and investigations.

    He said the JTF was determined to punish the persons, including the security personnel linked to the theft, if found guilty.

    Said he: “We will carry out thorough investigations to determine the veracity of the information we got. We know that there are ships licensed to sell petroleum products.

    “But we learnt that people are using it as a cover to buy illegally- refined products. They anchor their barges and use illegally-refined products from illegal refineries to fill them.

    “Sometimes, they mix genuine products with bad ones. We have impounded a Cotonou boat, which supplied such product and arrested the driver.

    “During the operation, some people, who may be benefitting from the illegality, tried to stop us, but we resisted. The barges will be investigated.”

    Col. Nzan confirmed the raid, saying it was carried out based on reports that bunkering was ongoing at the Onne Port.

    He said eight persons were arrested, adding that the JTF took samples of the product for investigation.

    Nzan said one of the suspects was arrested for allegedly stealing 55 gallons of the product.

    Said he: “following on a tip-off, we carried out an operation at Onne Port.

    “The team impounded Cotonou boats and discovered barges suspected to be used for bunkering. Based on the zero tolerance for oil theft, we arrested people. The JTF will investigate the barges at the general area.

    “Some of them were filled with products. We collected samples of the product and tested them to determine their quality. Most of the suspects ran away when they saw our troops.”

  • Sri Lanka to begin bunkering at Chinese funded port

    Sri Lanka to begin bunkering at Chinese funded port

    Sri Lanka’s government is to begin bunkering facilities at a 360million-U.S.dollar Chinese funded port in the southern part of the country, the port authority said in a statement.

    Launched on January 15, 2008, the Hambantota Port is being constructed by the Chinese companies China Harbor Engineering Company and Sinohydro Corporation.

    The total cost of the first phase of the project is estimated at 360 million U.S. dollars, excluding 76.5 million U.S. dollars for the bunker terminal.

    When all three phases are completed, the harbor is expected to cost around 1.2 billion U.S. dollars and be the largest in South Asia.

    The oil tank farm, comprising 14 tanks, will be officially opened by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa on June 23.

    The farm has eight tanks for fuel bunkering facilities for vessels, three tanks for aero fuel and three tanks for storing LP gas. The 14 tanks will also have an overall capacity of 80,000 cubic meters.

    “The project is composed of five up right tanks with dome in 10, 000 cubic meters, three up right tanks with dome in 5,000 cubic meters, three up right tanks with dome in 3,000 cubic meters, three spherical LPG tanks with 2,000 cubic meters and all necessary auxiliary facilities,” the Sri Lanka Ports Authority ( SLPA) said in a statement.

    The tank farm can initially handle 55,000 tons of shipping fuel with eight tanks and is expected to add another 100,000 tons under the second phase.

    The Sri Lankan government expects as many as 4,500 oil tankers to anchor at Hambantota for bunkering, ship repairing and also to purchase food, water, medical supplies as well as other logistics.

  • Navy: we’ll eradicate oil theft, illegal bunkering

    The Navy said it had arrested 21 suspects and seized two vessels at the waterway and creeks of Agbami Oil field and Obi Creeks in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa.

    A statement on Tuesday by the Flag Officer Commanding the Central Naval Command, Rear Adm. Sidi-Ali Hassan Usman, said the suspects were Nigerians.

    The statement said the vessels lacked the necessary permits to lift crude oil.

    “The two vessels were laden with 2.1million litres of crude oil at the time of arrest. The vessels were intercepted at separate points along the Ebi Creeks and Agbami Oil Field between December 26, 2013 and January14.

    “They were unable to tender relevant documents such as Nigerian Port Authority bunkering permit and the NNPC nomination for crude oil lifting.

    “And they lack the certificate of registration with the Joint Military Task Force. They did not have the Naval Headquarters approval for the movement of petroleum products within the command area of responsibility.

    “The determination of the Nigerian Navy and the Central Naval Command to completely eradicate oil theft, illegal bunkering and other illegality in the Nigeria waters is total.”

    The Navy also vowed to sustain the tempo of activities in the waterways and creek in the Niger Delta.

     

  • Laws against illegal oil bunkering coming says Tambuwal

    Legislation against illegal oil bunkering is on the way, House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has said.

    He said the decision was informed by oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

    Tambuwal spoke at the opening of the 10th regional meeting of the African Carribean Pacific and European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Abuja.

    While he appreciated the timeliness of the meeting and its consequence for the West African region, the Speaker expressed concerns over the security situation in the region.

    He said: “The alarming development does not only have negative implications on the export of crude oil and revenues accruable to the Nigerian government but also has adverse implications for regional and global security.

    “The regional summit of some African Heads of State that held recently in Yaounde, Cameroun is one such positive response to an alarming development which if not checked has adverse implications for regional and global security, supply of oil and revenues accruable to our governments.

    “I am glad that these ugly phenomena are among the issues for discussion at this forum. For our part, the National Assembly of Nigeria is considering a legislation to deal decisively with this menace and we call for the cooperation of all Parliaments the world over to join in sanctioning oil companies and other persons engaged in this nefarious act”.

    The Speaker also urged the gathering to prioritize the security challenges in its deliberations, saying, “ As a region, we have been negatively impacted by the Arab spring, and particularly the fall of the Gaddafi regime in Libya.

    “The proliferation of light and heavy weapons which fell into the hands of Non State Actors are causing havoc and instability.

    “The Nigerian government is trying to come to grips with the situation and some drastic measures, including the declaration of a state of emergency in the most-affected states, have been taken.

    “I am pleased to note that the ACP and EU nations have shown genuine concern for the security of Nigeria. The JPA proved its support in this regard when it passed a powerful resolution at the meeting in Horsens, Denmark last year”.

    The Abuja meeting was the second to en hosted by the West African sub-region after the first by Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

  • JTF arrests mega tonne vessel, 14 crew over illegal bunkering

    •Operators offer N14m bribe to army officer 

    A 3,500 metric tonne crude oil tanker and 14 crew members have been arrested by the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta for alleged illegal bunkering.

    Commander of 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army and JTF Sector 1, Lt. Colonel Ifeanyi Otu, said the vessel christened Cape Hope was arrested by his men at Benneth Island in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

    The vessel was marked with IMO (International Maritime Organisation) number 8313544. Documents in the vessel indicated that it was contracted by one Jack Marine with office in Apapa, Lagos.

    Lt. Col Otu said the vessel sailed into Warri River after its owners offered him a bribe of N14 million to facilitate the illegal deal.

    “The Commander played along with them that he would assist them until the vessel sailed into the Warri River prior to the criminal operation. It was impounded and crew members seized,” a JTF source said.

    The crew members were identified as Mr. Stephen Fregene, Captain; Ebikoro Oweikeyi, an engineer and a Ghanaian, Mr. Anku Williams, as well as Evans Nwoko, Blessing Okafor, Jacob Ojugbeli, Uchegbu VictorIdris Omoleri and Shola Ilororo

    The rest are John Mark, Ugbosanmi John, Patrick Wilson, Lamidi Janunu and Peter Adume.

    Further checks indicated that four vessels had been pencilled down for the illicit deal for which the commander was offered the huge sum of money.

    JTF source said the vessels are used by a criminal syndicate that obtain documents for them under the pretext of lifting sludge or waste.

    But the captain, Fregene denied knowledge of the criminal act, stressing that he was merely contracted by the Lagos-based company and ordered to sail to Egbokodo to load sludge.

    He said his vessel was empty when the JTF operatives swooped.

    However, the army top brass said he had earlier been offered a whopping N14m by the vessel owners to ensure his cooperation, adding that the activities of sponsors of the illegal bunkering in the region was becoming shocking.

     

  • 143 prosecuted for illegal bunkering in Cross River

    143 prosecuted for illegal bunkering in Cross River

    143 suspects are being prosecuted by the National Security and Civil Defence Corp for illegal bunkering activities in Cross River State. Commandant, Dr Benito Eze told reporters in Calabar yesterday. Eze said the cases were at various stages of prosecution, even as he promised to make sure they are pursued to a logical conclusion He said it was their statutory duty to go about the prosecution of such criminals and make sure they are punished if found wanting. Eze said in the past six months he took over as commandant of the corps, over 150 arrests have been made by his men. He said: “Over the last six months, we have made Cross River State a no go area for criminals and those involved in illegal bunkering of petroleum products.” The commandant said he would work with other security agencies in the state to foster an inter-agency partnership that would enhance their fight against crime. “With a strong synergy among security operatives in the state, we would make Cross River State uncomfortable for criminals and bunkerers,” Eze said.

  • GSM provider in illegal bunkering mess

    •Navy arrests ‘oil thief’
    •Boat, 150 drums seized

     

    Troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta have raided the base of a popular GSM service provider in Warri, Delta State, for alleged complicity in illegal bunkering.

    The Task Force operatives stormed the facility at Edjeba, following reports that a truck loaded with illegally refined crude oil was discharging at the base station.

    The Operations Officer of the 13 Battalion, Capt Mohammed Abdulahi, led soldiers to the scene at Izuokumor Street.

    Capt. Abdulahi said 15 drums of illegally refined diesel were recovered.

    “It is sad that a company like this that should be discouraging this criminal act is actively partaking in it.

    “Unfortunately, we couldn’t make any arrest, but we have our strategy in place to tackle it,” he said.

    It was gathered that residents of the area raised the alarm on the pollution around the vicinity.

    “We have been complaining about the black diesel polluting everywhere; when we approached them, they said we should be grateful because they are helping us to chase away mosquitoes,” a landlord, Paul Ekrirhe, said.

    Ekrirhe, who owns the land on which the base station is built, said the activities of the company are a source of concern for residents.

    “If you look at this road, you will see that the point up to where the base station is located is a mess. The company brings its heavy duty trucks and destroyed everywhere,” he added.

    The JTF also arrested seven suspects, who were allegedly ferrying canoes of crude oil in Warri.

    The suspects are Peter Abodu (20); Love Aloro (40); Vincent Korokoro (25); Disemi Lewis (18); Kenitebo Mike (19); Nicholas Ebie Joel (29) and Peter Tenibonu (20).

    Recovered from them were four water pumping machines; N9,450; seven mobile phones; one phone battery; two speed boats; drums and tanks of hot liquid suspected to be diesel.

    Kookoro, a father of one, said poverty led him to the business.

    Another suspect, Abodu, said he was given a lift to Warri when he was arrested.

    Yet another, Peter Tenibonu, who claimed to be 20, contrary to his looks, thrilled reporters when he said his old look was as a result of hard work.

    He said: “My look is because of hard work. I have no job. Since I left secondary school, I could not get a job. So I joined bunkering business. I make N15,000 per trip.”

    In Calabar, the Cross River State capital, naval operatives arrested a suspected oil thief.

    They seized a large wooden canoe containing 150 200-litre drums, some of which contained diesel.

    Commander of NNS Victory Cmd James Oluwole said at about 2am yesterday his men ran into suspected oil thieves around the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) jetty in Calabar.

    He said: “What happened yesterday morning around 2am during one of our patrols around the NNPC jetty, we impounded a canoe with about 150, 200-litre drums of what we suspect to be stolen refined products from NNPC pipeline.

    “One of the men was arrested while the others jumped overboard when they sighted our men.”

    He said the products and suspect would be handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which handles such matters.

    The suspect, Orok Okon, 35, said they were seven of them on board when they were accosted by the Navy but the rest escaped.

    He said they picked up the drums from Creek Town in Odukpani Local Government Area and were taking them to Jebbs in Calabar-South when they were arrested.

  • Navy arrests two for ‘illegal bunkering’

    The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, Cmd Duja Emmanuel Effedua, yesterday said two people were arrested for alleged involvement in illegal refining of petroleum products.

    He said during routine patrol of creeks by his men, they discovered and destroyed eight illegal refineries, a large metal barge and a Cotonou boat, laden with stolen crude oil around Ogu/Bolo in Rivers State.

    Effedua said the two suspects were being interrogated at the NNS Pathfinder.

    He also admonished the people involved in the illegal activities to seek legitimate employment.

  • Oil bunkering haven raided in Calabar

    Over 500 jerry cans of petroleum products were set ablaze in Esuk Otu creek in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, at the weekend during a sting operation by security personnel led by Acting Governor Efiok Cobham.

    The jerry cans, laden with petroleum products and pumping machines, were stacked in a barge before it was intercepted and destroyed at the creek.

    Cobham said it’s unfortunate that despite efforts by government, illegal bunkering still persists.

    “It’s very unfortunate because this is a crime against the economy. It’s pure sabotage and this is not what we should engage in at this critical period of our political history.

    “It’s a major economic crime and we are making a statement that anybody who is involved in this act in any part of the state will have their illegal products destroyed.

    “It’s in line with the directive of the Federal Government and the state’s policy that we sustain the zero tolerance to criminal activities.”

  • JTF arrests 20 Ghanaians, 6 Nigerians for alleged bunkering

    JTF arrests 20 Ghanaians, 6 Nigerians for alleged bunkering

    The Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta said on Friday that it arrested 20 Ghanaians and six Nigerians over alleged illegal bunkering.

    Brig.-Gen.Tukur Buratai, the Commander, Sector II of the task force, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt.

    Sector II of the task force comprises Rivers and Bayelsa States.

    Buratai said the task force had also destroyed seven barges loaded with crude oil, adding that the barges were impounded in September at Abonnema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    The task force commander, however, did not disclose the quantity of the crude oil impounded by the task force.

    Buratai, who is also the Commander, 2 Brigade of the Army in Port Harcourt, said the arrested Ghanaians and Nigerians had been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for prosecution.

    Cue in audio

    ‘’ There were some arrests and they have all been handed over to the civil defence for prosecution.

    ‘’ And, as you are aware, these barges have been operating within this area. They take advantage of the creeks, the difficult terrain, to sneak into the area and then steal the crude oil.

    ‘’But, luck ran out for them, we were able to intercept them.’’

    Cue out audio

    He said the difficult terrain had made it difficult for its gunboats to penetrate the creeks because some areas had shallow water.

    ‘’ But, by and large, we have taken full control and we are able to take on the oil thieves squarely.’’ (NAN)