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Tag: oil thieves

  • JTF’s new 30 gunboats boost war against oil thieves

    The days of oil thieves in the creeks of the Niger Delta region are now numbered. The Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, is determined more than ever to flush them out.

    After taking delivery of new 30 gunboats added to its fleets by the Federal Government, JTF’s moral is high and it seems motivated to increase its patrols of oil facilities in its Areas of Responsibilities (AoR).

    It was, indeed, a day of joy for the troops and officers of the JTF whose headquarters is located in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh; the Chief of Army Staff; Gen. Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jubril were in Yenagoa.

    They were joined by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson; Governor, Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alameseigha.

    Others were the Commander, JTF, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe; representatives of Chevron, Shell, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Setraco, Daewoo, royal fathers and state’s security heads including the Commander, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Desmond Agu.

    They were at the Government Jetty to witness the commissioning 30 gunboats acquired by the Federal Government to enhance the operations of the JTF. The gunboats were inaugurated by Badeh.

    The Chief of Defence Staff said the acquisition of the boats underlined the determination of the Federal Government to holistically find a lasting solution to the problem of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria.

    He said one of the steps taken to eradicate oil theft in the country was the establishment of a Technical Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control (TCCOTPC) by the National Economic Council (NEC).

    He said through the activities of the committee, the NEC approved some funds for the Defence Headquarters to procure gunboats for the operations of the JTF which is saddled with the responsibility of fighting crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

    He said the contracts for the construction of the boats were awarded to Messrs. Epenal Group of Companies Nigeria Limited and Messrs. Roshanal Info Tech Limited.

    He commended the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan for its undying commitment to providing needed support to enable the Armed Forces discharge its constitutional responsibilities.

    He further said the Chairman of NEC and Vice-President Namadi Sambo deserved a special appreciation for approving the funding for the project. Badeh also appraised the ongoing war against insurgency in the North-East saying it was gaining momentum and achieving results.

    He said: “These boats and indeed other resources allocated by the Federal Government of Nigeria would be judiciously deployed for the overall economic benefits of the country.

    “It is pertinent to also note that the Nigerian Navy has continued to intensify its war against oil theft which has remarkably curtailed the high level crude oil losses.

    “I make bold to warn all those criminals who take pleasure in stealing the nation’s crude oil and vandalizing pipelines in the Niger Delta to desist from such unpatriotic acts.

    “The receipt of of these gunboats has added impetus to the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies’ campaign against oil theft and pipeline vandalism. To be forewarned is to be forearmed”.

    In fact, Uduaghan who was a special guest of honour at the occasion beamed with smiles. He had every reason to be joyful especially following his known disdain for oil theft and pipeline vandalism. Besides, he played a significant role in the acquisition of the military assets.

    Uduaghan is the chairman of the technical committee that approved the purchase of the gunboats. The governor said the decision to acquire the gunboats was taken after considering the challenges of the military in a NEC meeting adding that it was agreed in the meeting that the military should not be allowed to fight crime with bare hands.

    He said: “When there is a drop in oil revenue, it affects everyone. It affects the federal government and the states. We agreed at the NEC meeting that we must make some contributions as Federal and state government to the funding of the operation in this area because without funds we cannot be talking of security. Our military people should not use their bare hands to be dealing with security.

    “So, the council after due approval by Mr. President put up a committee with state governors and I was privileged to chair that committee. I am happy today that we are here to commission these boats which is a big plus for the operations of this area.”

    Uduaghan poured encomiums on the JTF and the Navy for making the region too hot for oil thieves. “Even before these boats, I can testify as a governor of the Niger Delta, the operations of JTF and the navy have been very uncomfortable for the criminals. We want to appreciate what you are doing in dealing with crude oil theft”, he said.

    Despite the effectiveness of the JTF and the Navy, Uduaghan said there were still challenges in crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, which he said was affecting gas supply to power plants.

    “We still have challenges in crude oil theft and even pipeline vandalism that is affecting gas supply especially yo our power plants.

    “We are proud of Mr. President, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who is on the driving seat, who is the commander-in-chief in dealing with all these issues, the issues of crude oil theft and the issues of Boko Haram.

    “President Jonathan has done a lot in the power sector in terms of generation a lot of power plants have been completed and are fully ready for operation.

    “In terms of distribution a lot of work has been done and are fully ready but the challenge we have now is sabotage to our gas pipeline. It is sad that our people are involved in this type of sabotage. To stop this requires the participation of all of us.”

    The governor also called for the cooperation of the international community in dealing with the issues of oil theft in Nigeria.

    “There also other stakeholders in the business of crude oil theft and the most challenging one is international community. Over 80 per cent of the stolen crude is exported and used by refineries outside Nigeria.

    “If international community cooperates with Nigeria, I am sure we will reduce this problem. If there is no destination for this stolen crude, this whole thing will reduce. Mr. President is doing his best. He is determined to wipe out crude oil theft and as states we are determined to work with him to wipe it out”, he added.

    In his remarks, the host, Governor Dickson, said apart from maritime military assets, the state was in need of equipment on land to effectively fight crimes.

    He thanked President Jonathan for investing in security and military assets saying that he had shown uncommon determination “to equip, armed, trained and kept the military better prepared than any of his predecessors”.

    “Two weeks or so ago, Mr. President in June fell swoop provided four naval warships for our nation’s navy. This is in addition to several strategic investments of the federal government under the able leadership of our dear President.

    “I would like to commend the prudence with which the resources are managed by various service chiefs.

    “The boats that had been donated will go a long way to assist our men and women in uniform whose men and officers even as we speak are sacrificing their lives to keep our nation safe”, he said.

    On his part, though excited over the gunboats, Atewe, the JTF commander, lamented the lives of gallant soldiers lost in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism and other forms of oil theft.

    He said recently five soldiers attached to the outfit were heinously killed by armed oil thieves. Atewe called for minute silence for the departed heroes and asked God to help their families bear the loss.

    Atewe thanked the dignitaries for attending the event and said the JTF had come of age. He said within the period he assumed the command of the outfit, over 157 vessels ad been seized. He said about 500 illegal oil pipeline vandals had been arrested while 300 boats involved in the illegal business had been destroyed.

    He praised Dickson, Udaghan and the Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) for their support in the war against economic sabotage. He further commended the security chiefs for their assistance especially the new 30 gunboats they made available to the command.

    Playing the Oliver Twist, Atewe asked the host governor not to relent in helping the outfit. Atewe reinstated his commitment to zero-tolerance to oil theft and regretted the environmental impact of pipeline vandalism.

  • JTF vows to deal with oil thieves in Niger Delta

    The Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, has warned oil thieves, sea robbers, kidnappers, and other crime perpetrators in the region and its environs to stay clear or risk being crushed.

    Atewe told The Nation that the agency is committed to its mandate of checking illegal activities on the waterways and oil installations and checkpoints in the area, adding that anybody caught would face the law. He said the body has arrested one of the biggest bunkerers, adding that efforts are ongoing to nip in the bud activities of people that pose as threat to – the  socio-economic wellbeing of the country.

    He said over 100 vessels that were being used for nefarious activities, have been arrested in line with the goals of the JTF to rid the region of criminals. According to him, the communities have been supportive as evident by the ways they participate in issues that would help reduce crimes.

    “The communities are on our side. They are supporting our activities. The JTF has so far  intercepted  and arrested several illegal oil bunkering vessels and suspects and handed them over to prosecuting agencies for prosecutions,” he said.

    The JTF commander urged stakeholders to join hands in fighting crude oil theft and other criminal activities in the region.

    On his zero-tolerance campaign against oil-theft and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, Atewe reiterated his commitment to total eradication of oil-related crimes.

    The Federal Government established the JTF few years ago to curb activities such as kidnapping, oil theft and others that have brought huge loss to the economy. The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said the nation has lost  over 1.38million barrels of crude oil estimated at $10.9billion through pilfering and sabotage from 2009 to 2013. It added that the figure of losses in crude theft represents about 7.7 per cent of the total revenue  that accrued to the federation account within the period.

  • EFCC gets suspected oil thieves

    Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Brass Navy Captain Noel Madugu has handed over 11 suspected oil thieves to the Economic and Financial Crime’s Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.

    Captain Madugu broke the news in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    He said the suspects were on board the vessel “MT Redemption”, which was arrested by Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) in Badagry.

    The commander added that the vessel was subsequently transferred to the Naval Base in Brass.

    The naval base is saddled with the responsibility of handling oil theft-related matters and the impounded vessel is being held there.

    Captain Madugu said the vessel was laden with 100,000 litres of stolen crude, weighing about 1,000 metric tons.

    He said the captain of the ship, on interrogation, claimed that the content of the tanks and drum was bitumen.

    The commanding officer stated: “The captain of the vessel said that the cargo in the drum was bitumen. But what we discovered was petroleum product suspected to be crude oil.

     

  • Oil thieves conceal products in sewage truck, shrines

    In their attempt to beat security, oil thieves in the Niger Delta region have adopted various tricks to conceal stolen products, including hiding stolen petroleum products in sewage trucks.

    The Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield, said in Yenagoa, on Friday that suspected oil thieves also hide their ill-acquired products in shrines, septic tanks to deceivesecurity operatives. The JTF’s Media Coordinator, Lt. Col. Mustapha Anka, who spoke with newsmen, said that its operatives, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a sewage truck with 12,000 capacity laden with stolen crude oil.

    He said the truck was arrested along Ibada Amukpe community in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State. Anka said: “The sewage truck was declared to be carrying waste and heading for a disposal dump by the occupants. But, it was discovered to be carrying illegally-acquired crude oil. “Both the suspects and the products are in the custody of the JTF for preliminary investigation before handing them over to relevant prosecuting agency.

    The task force has recently discovered illegal oil dump buried inside shrines, sitting room and septic tank.” Anka further said that the troops of the outfit recently aided a house belonging to a notorious criminal and recovered one AK 47 assault rifle with registration number CK28817. He said that a foreign-made barreled gun and a locally-made single barreled gun with 12 live cartridges were also recovered. He added that the suspect escaped before the arrival of the troops and that the weapons and the cartridges were in the custody of the JTF.

    He, however, said that the JTF was making efforts to arrest the criminals. Speaking further, Anka said JTF troops raided eight illegal bunkering sites at Opumani creek and Adudu in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State. He explained that the oil thieves operated with 10 pumping machines, 17 cooking points, three illegal storage tanks and eight metal tanks. He identified other items recovered from the sites as 13 Cotonou boats and illegal bunkering hoses.

    Anka said the sites and equipment were destroyed immediately in line with the task force’s mandate in the Niger Delta, adding that a surveillance supervisor with a private security guard was arrested in connection with the illegal oil bunkering. The JTF spokesperson said: “In a related development, JTF squad, operating along Bayelsa and River states general area have arrested a 33,000 capacity trunk with Lagos registration number RRP 132 XA containing substance suspected to be illegally-acquired Automated Gas Oil. “The suspects abandoned the trucks and fled on sighting the troops. Both the trucks and its contents have been destroyed.”

  • 11 ‘oil thieves’ arrested in Rivers

    Naval officers and men on Bonny Island in Rivers State have arrested 11 men for their alleged involvement in illegal oil activities.

    Their vessel, MT Divine Favour, which belongs to Ibiberebupakab Nigeria Limited, was impounded.

    The suspects and the vessel were handed over to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, Capt. Daupreye Matthew, said the vessel was intercepted 11 nautical miles from the Fairway Buoy, Bonny, on February 10.

    Matthew said the vessel had no valid documents to operate on Nigerian waters and was carrying about 500 metric tonnes of products suspected to be Automated Gasoline Oil (AGO).

    The commanding officer, handing over the suspects to the EFCC, said the exercise was in line with the vision and mission of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jubrin.

    Matthew also said the navy was determined to fight oil theft, especially in the Niger Delta.

     

  • •Bayelsa ex-militant leader: oil thieves are after my life

    Former militant leader in Bayelsa State, Mr. Pius Wareyai, yesterday raised the alarm that crude oil thieves were after his life.

    The former warlord popularly known as “Gen.” Pius said in a petition to the police that oil thieves wanted him dead.

    He said the development came because of his battle against oil bunkering along the Gbarain River and Egbema-Angalabiri waterways in Ekeremor Local Government.

    Gunmen last weekend laid siege to Bilabiri, the coastal community of the ex-militant leader, and destroyed his home.

    Pius in a petition to the Commissioner of Police Mr. Hillary Okpara said the invasion of his community had nothing to do with the management of welfare packages for ex-militants in his camp.

    He told the police boss that oil thieves were the masterminds of the attack.

    The petition, written on his behalf by his legal firm, Nwachukwu and Associates, was titled: “Threat to life and attempted kidnap of Pius Warreyai and Sarah Pius Wareyai”.

    He said the September 27 attack was designed by desperate oil thieves to eliminate him and his family, adding that his security surveillance of oil facilities belonging to Agip was the reason for the attack.

    According to him, the Clough Creek Agip Flow Station, the Kambo Oil Field and the Tunu Flow Station were domicilled in the Gbarain River and the Egbema-Angalabiri waters.

    He said he was not acting as a surveillance contractor for the Federal Government and the Pipeline Product Marketing Company (PPMC).

    Pius said he took it upon himself to constitute ex-militants under his command as a security team to protect the waterways and oil facilities in the area.

    He said the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield and the oil multinationals were aware of the voluntary security activities of the youths.

  • Civil Defence arrests 15 suspected oil thieves

    Fifteen suspected oil thieves were arrested in the last six months by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Bayelsa State.

    The corps also prosecuted seven suspects for pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering within the period.

    The Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, said yesterday that the suspects were arrested for oil-related offences between January and June.

    He said operatives of the command impounded six trucks loaded with crude oil and illegally- refined petroleum products.

    Agu said the command also burnt three speedboats containing adulterated and illegally-refined fuel.

    He said operatives of the command, on surveillance of the Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC’s) pipelines in June, impounded and burnt three big wooden boats.

    According to him, the boats were impounded with stolen crude oil at Akalamini.

    He said the command received and mediated on 20 civil cases involving communities.

    Mr. Agu said the corps, as part of the state’s security outfit, “Operation Doo Akpo”, had contributed to the peace being enjoyed by the indigenes by tackling criminal activities.

    He said a suspect that operated an illegal private guard company was apprehended by the corps.

    Said he: “The corps participated in the last local government elections. Officers and men of the NSCDC were mobilised and posted to locations to ensure a hitch-free election.

    “The corps has not also been left out in the area of crowd control. We are determined to stamp out vandalism, oil bunkering and other vices.”

  • Fed Govt’s battle against terrorists, oil thieves

    Fed Govt’s battle against terrorists, oil thieves

    It is evident that the wave of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria has gone down considerably in recent times but the citizens, particularly those in the northern part, still worry if it is “peace at last’’.

    In the words of Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS): “Nigeria is winning the war against terrorism. When I remark that we are winning the war on terrorism, I recall the statement of a Chinese General, Sunzu, which says `if you know yourself, if you know the enemy; then, you can fight a thousand wars.

    “Winning the war starts from in-house, I am aware of the improved capacity of the units, improved capacity of the officers and men, and this is what gives me the confidence that we will excel.

    “And as for the operation itself, the nature of insurgency is such that you will continue to have occasional setbacks because you are dealing with people who disguise themselves as civilians,’’ he said.

    Ihejirika said the military had made tremendous achievements in efforts to make the country safe, adding, however, that a lot still had to be done.

    Expatiating further on the military operation, the Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Olusola Obada, said efforts to promote the country’s security must necessarily include strategies aimed at ensuring that neighbouring nations were also safe to forestall any spillovers.

    Speaking at the ongoing Ministerial Platform in Abuja to showcase the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan administration in the last two years, she said as part of efforts to ensure the security of neighbouring countries, about 5,000 Nigerian soldiers were serving in various UN peace keeping missions in Africa and other continents.

    “The Armed Forces of Nigeria are participating in nine United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions within and outside Africa. About 5,000 officers and men, including military hardware, were deployed to various missions in the period under review.

    “In November 2012, 186 personnel were deployed to Guinea Bissau as part of the ECOWAS military intervention force to restore normalcy to the troubled West African country.

    “Nigeria still remains an active player in both regional and world peace efforts,” she added.

    Mrs. Obada said Nigeria deployed a reinforced infantry battalion to Mali on January 17, following the UN Security Council Resolution 2085, which approved the formation of the Africa-led International Support Mission in Mali.

    She said the ministry had carried out repairs and upgrade of the Contingent Owned Equipment (COE) in Darfur, Sudan, while carrying out pre-deployment training for soldiers at the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre in Jaji.

    The ministry, she added, had also acquired Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) for the country’s troops in Dafur and Liberia, while producing national cost data for peace support operations.

    The minister stressed that the importance of the armed forces’ training could never be over-emphasised, adding that this explained the rationale behind sustained efforts to professionalise, train and re-train the soldiers.

    Obada said the military had always been fighting for the country’s unity, peace and oneness.

    “The Army is doing its very best as our officers and men are among the very best in the world; there is no doubt about it because they are well-trained and they are on top of their work,” she said.

    As part of efforts to curb oil theft and protect oil installations, the minister said the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta was instrumental to the destruction of 3,778 illegal refineries in the area in the last one year.

    Mrs. Obada noted that there had been enhanced protection of oil and gas facilities through the increase of air and ground patrols of pipeline networks to deter vandals from carrying out their destructive activities.

    “While criminality in the industry has not been completely eliminated, efforts of the JTF had reduced the level of crude oil theft drastically within the period under review.

    “One hundred and twenty barges, 878 Cotonou boats, 161 tanker trucks, 178 illegal fuel dumps and 5,238 surface tanks were destroyed by the JTF,” she said.

    Moreover, the minister said within the last one year, the task force also destroyed some militant camps at Oron in Akwa Ibom, as well as Ikang and Ferukpakame in Cross River.

    Troops, she said, were deployed to mount surveillance on the most critical oil platforms on a 24-hour basis to enhance their security.

    In the area of internal security, the minister said following President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in three northern states, “Operation BOYANA’’ was launched to curtail the excesses of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    She said the operation had been successful, as the insurgents were dislodged from their strongholds.

    Obada said the restoration of normalcy and the operations of the JTF had made Maiduguri and its environs unbearable for the miscreants.

    She highlighted some successes achieved in the military operation as the destruction of some Identified Improvised Explosives (IEDS) and their production factories as well as the recovery of large caches of arms, ammunition and explosives.

    The minister said the JTF had also monitored and controlled the influx of illegal immigrants into Borno State, while facilitating the repatriation of some aliens.

    As part of efforts to promote staff welfare and set the pace for other ministries to follow, the defence ministry had also placed 25, 000 HIV-positive personnel and civilians on retroviral therapy in the last one year.

    She said the intervention was carried out under the Ministry of Defence HIV and AIDS Programme.

    Mrs. Obada said Nigeria had also strengthened its relations with Japan in the area of defence.

    Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN) said 75 terrorism cases were treated in the last two years.

    He said 16 of the cases had been concluded with eight convictions, while 35 cases were struck out.

    “During the period under review, a total number of 75 cases of terrorism and Boko Haram insurgency were received and prosecuted.

    “Sixteen of the cases have been concluded with eight convictions, while 35 were struck out.

    “A good number of the terrorism cases were struck out because the accused persons escaped during attacks on prisons in Bauchi and Maiduguri,” he added.

    Also speaking on the same platform, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, whose ministry oversees the Ministerial Platform, said that the ministry had been able to spur other ministries to attain the development goals of the Jonathan-administration.

    He stressed that the ministry’s efforts to redefine the national information framework had strengthened the governance process in Nigeria.

    He said the ministry, in consultation with important stakeholders, had in the last two years redesigned the nation’s information strategy, with a view to involving the people in the governance process.

    Maku said the Ministerial Platform and the National Good Governance Tour (NGGT) were products of the new approach to information dissemination about governance in the country.

    “In the last two years, we have redefined the mandate of the Ministry of Information. It is to lead the management of the image and reputation of the people and government of Nigeria through a professional and dynamic public information system that facilitates access by citizens and the global community to credible and timely information about Nigeria.

    “The ministerial platform, this is the second edition, has shown clearly that in this country, we can do things differently; and by designing this platform, I believe that we have started something that will be difficult to be stopped by any government in the future.

    “Now, companies are saying that they will like to advertise on the platform because they want to reach audiences and because of the level of participation.

    “We will consider the proposal in the next edition of the ministerial platform; we will introduce private sector adverts,” he said.

    Observers laud the defence and information ministries for their feats in the nation-building efforts but they urge them to strive harder in efforts to transform Nigeria into one of the developed countries of the world.

  • Oil thieves cause multiple spills in Bayelsa

    Activities of oil thieves have left Kalaba community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State flooded with crude oil.

    Residents yesterday reported five oil spill points on Agip’s oil pipeline in the area.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that three of the spill points were discharging oil into the environment; the remaining two were discharging a mixture of crude and gas.

    Residents attributed the frequent spills in the area to the activities of oil thieves, who often burst pipelines to steal oil.

    A community leader in Kalaba, Mr Roman Olukali, told NAN yesterday that the community had particularly experienced frequent oil spills caused by oil thieves in the last two years.

    He said the menace could have been checked if Agip had taken the community into confidence and collaborated with the people in efforts to safeguard the oil pipelines.

    Olukali alleged that the company failed to relate with the community, adding that this led to the people’s failure to report strange movements around the pipelines.

    “We are really disturbed about the effect of these spills and on our own; we want to cooperate with Agip to solve the problem but Agip does not want to come here and reason with us.

    “Sometimes, when they come here to fix the leaks, they do not even tell us, and they often leave the area before we know that they have been around,’’ he added.

    The Youth President of Kalaba community, Mr Joel Joel, bemoaned the incessant oil spills in the neighbourhood.

    “‘These incessant oil spills in our environment is affecting us negatively, both in terms of the impact on the environment and our means of livelihood and the kind of negative publicity it attracts for our community.

    “We are not happy at all; and I have warned at a meeting we held sometime ago that we will not spare anyone in the community, caught or found to be responsible for any oil spill in this environment,’’ Joel said.

    Mr Adeyinka Adewumi, the Head of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in Port Harcourt, confirmed that Agip had shut down operations in the area since March due to oil theft.

    Agip, in a statement, said it authorised the suspension of its operations in the area on March 22 and subsequently declared a “Force Majeure’’ on its oil output from the facilities on March 23.

    “Force Majeure’’ is a legal notice that absolves an oil firm of liabilities for failure to meet supply obligations to crude buyers due to circumstances beyond the firm’s control.

    “Agip confirms that during the night between March 21 and 22, the company had declared ‘Force Majeure’ and ordered the closure of its onshore activities in the swamp area located in Bayelsa.

    “The decision was made due to the intensified illegal bunkering, consisting in the sabotage of pipelines and the theft of crude oil, which recently reached unsustainable levels regarding personal safety and damage to the environment,’’ the statement said.

    It said the firm produced about 40,000 barrels of crude oil daily from the shut facilities.

  • Navy parades 23 ‘oil thieves’ in Bayelsa

    The Central Naval Command (CNC) in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, has paraded 23 ‘oil thieves’.

    The suspects were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the CNC headquarters yesterday.

    Ten Indians and two Nigerians were arrested on a vessel, MT AKSHAY, with 157,822 litres of crude oil.

    Nine Nigerians and two Ghanaians were arrested aboard MT. EVE with 75,000 litres of Automated Gas Oil (AGO).

    The two vessels were intercepted by the Navy on routine patrols around Brass River last November.

    He said: “The vessels are not listed in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) tanker nomination schedule.

    “They do not have the Nigerian Port Authority’s (NPA’s) bunkering permit or the Joint Task Force’s(JTF’s) certificate of registration for the vessels engaged in movement of crude oil.

    “The Naval headquarters has directed that MT AKSHAY and MT EVE with its cargo and the suspects should be handed over to the EFCC for future investigation.”