The Nation Newspaper

Tag: pipelines

  • REVEALED!: How civil defence operatives, NNPC guards aid oil thieves to vandalise pipelines in Lagos community

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has the statutory mandate to protect offshore petroleum pipelines in the country and save them from vandals and other economic saboteurs. However, a three-month investigation conducted by KUNLE AKINRINADE on the vandalisation of pipelines at Isheri Olofin Royal Estate in Alimosho area of Lagos State revealed the connivance of some operatives of the security agency and private guards hired by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with pipeline vandals.

    THE Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Lagos State, Alhaji Tajudeen Balogun, is widely regarded as a man of action. In the few months he became the helmsman of the para-military organisation in Lagos, his rating as a no-nonsense minion of law has been swelled by the arrest of cable and pipeline vandals, among other criminals.

    Again, on September 3, Balogun, whose Yoruba name translates to ‘generalissimo’, lived up to his name when he made a show of his commitment to route the pipeline vandals in the state. On that day, about 19 nationals of neighbouring Benin Republic were arrested and paraded for alleged theft of more than 50,000 litres of petroleum products. Balogun said the suspects were arrested in a boat in Badagry between August 28 and 30 on their way to Benin Republic.

    He said: ”Thirteen of the suspects were picked up in a boat at Badagry on their way from Niger Delta area heading to Benin Republic. Other suspects were arrested at Atlas Cove and Lagos Island. We recovered 300 jerry cans of 30 litres each containing petroleum products.

    “We recovered 40 jerry cans of 30 litres each containing diesel and another 40 jerry cans of same litres containing kerosene. We intercepted another Cotonou boat with 118 drums of different products, with each drum containing about 250 litres. We have contacted the NNPC for the evacuation of the products to their depot at Mosinmi in Ogun. All the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.”

    Community at the mercy of vandals

    But while Balogun relishes his nemesis on vandals, his binoculars seem to have failed to capture corrupt operatives under his nose, who have been aiding vandals to smash pipelines and steal petroleum products that run into millions of naira in the Olowu area of Isheri Olofin Royal Estate in Alimosho Local Government Area.

    For Isheri Olofin Royal Estate, a community comprising mainly low income and middle class residents, it has been five years of constant assault by vandals aided by security agencies. Community leaders and residents who spoke with our correspondent expressed disappointment with the complicit security operatives and NNPC security men involved in the destruction of oil pipelines and theft of fuel in the area, with fear of possible fire outbreak triggered by vandalised pipeline anytime soon.

    The massive estate, is divided into three areas—Zone A, B and C. The pipeline that passes through Olowu Street is located in the Zone B area of the poorly developed estate. A number of security operatives have been drafted to the community to protect the facility in recent times. From policemen to soldiers and from naval operatives to security guards hired by NNPC to protect the pipelines, it was sordid tales of vandalisation of pipelines and theft of fuel. But all that, as gathered, temporarily stopped about three years ago after a state-wide military onslaught against vandals until January this year when the vandals resumed their nefarious activities in the estate.

    The return of vandals

    Sources in the estate revealed how some security guards of a pipeline surveillance firm contracted by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) worked in cahoots with the pipeline syndicate few weeks after they were employed and posted there. Nemesis, however, caught up with them when they were apprehended by vigilant residents on July 14 this year after they allegedly aided vandals to burst the pipelines, load petrol into three tankers and escaped.

    Adejare Brown, a community leader, said: “We have endured the vandals’ activities for about five years now. The whole thing started shortly after we moved into this estate. We did not quite pay much attention until some residents ran into the vandals during one of their operations.

    “While we were initially indifferent about their activities, we were constrained to put a stop to them when the threat of fire outbreak stared us in the face, following the exposure of the vandalised pipeline each time the vandals operate, because they don’t properly cover the pipelines back before they hurriedly leave the place.

    “There was a respite for three years after soldiers were drafted to repel vandals in Lagos State, following which some private security men contracted by NNPC  were deployed to protect the pipelines here.

    “Initially when the security men were posted here, they gave a deceitful veneer to their ability to contain the vandals through constant stop and search on vehicles, residents and strict restriction of movement at night. But we never knew that it was all meant to turn our eyes away from their cooperation with the very people who have been vandalising the pipelines and taking away fuel in tankers.

    “A few months later, precisely January this year, we were alerted by a man and his wife who were returning from a church programme in the wee hours of a particular day that some men were sighted with their tankers taking fuel from pipelines. The couple also said that they sighted three security men with the vandals.

    “We decided to keep a watch on their activities until July 14 this year when the vandals returned. This time, we got wind of their presence and mobilised ourselves to the scene, but they zoomed off on sighting us, while the security men watched as they drove out. But we were able to stop the tanker while the driver and his assistant jumped out of the vehicle and escaped.

    “When we accused the NNPC security men, they said the driver of the tanker veered off the Lasu-Igando highway into our estate. They said the tanker broke down and they only helped to push it back into motion. We led them to the pipelines only to discover that fuel was gushing out from a hole they drilled on it and hurriedly covered with waste materials.

    “The discovery angered the residents at the scene, and they wanted to lynch the security men. But some of us intervened by asking them to write an undertaking never to engage in such act again. It was then they confessed that they collected the sum of N50,000 from the vandals. We took them and the tanker to the Idimu Police Division, although many of the residents could not trust the police because of how suspects arrested in the past were controversially freed without any investigation carried out.”

    According to Brown, the security men did not spend up to 15 minutes at the police station; they were freed, to the chagrin of residents.

    “The errant security men returned barely 15 minutes after we left the station and mocked us for wasting our time by taking them to the police, who they claimed would always free them because of the relationship between the syndicate and some policemen at the station.”

    The efforts our correspondent made to reach NNPC spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu, were futile as several calls made to his mobile phone went unanswered. A text message sent to his telephone line had also not been replied to at press time.

    The brouhaha that followed the complicity of the NNPC’s hired security guards, it was learnt, led to their sack and eventual return of Civil Defence operatives a few days later to protect the pipelines in line with its statutory mandate.

    The Nation gathered that to ensure their comfort and diligent discharge of their duties, the Civil Defence men on appeal to the leadership of the estate’s residents’ association renovated an abandoned NNPC security post and furnished the building with mattress and other furniture items for the use of the operatives.

    Brown added: “The leader of the NSCDC squad, who claimed that he was well-trained to contain vandals, and had been deployed from the Northern part of the country to secure pipelines in our estate, said he and his men would not be able to stay comfortably at the security post because it was not habitable enough to make their constabulary duty comfortable.

    “We were moved by their plight and we quickly raised about N300,000 to renovate the building, including providing modern toilet, bathroom, mattresses, and tiled the place to their satisfaction, hoping that we can heave a sigh of relief from the activities of vandals,” Brown added.

    Another sad song

    But did the arrival of NSDSC operatives stop vandals from coming to burst the pipeline in the area? Certainly no. Their presence, The Nation gathered, further emboldened vandals. In less than two weeks after the arrival of the NSCSDC operatives, vandals struck again and successfully took away fuel in three tankers, according to sources.

    Curiously, the security post manned by a coterie of men of anti-vandalism unit of NSCDC, who were deployed to keep watch on the pipelines and prevent its vandalisation, is just a stone’s throw from the pipelines.

    To ensure they have easy access to the oil installation, the syndicate drilled a hole on the pipelines and covered it with a disused tyre, leaves and garbage to prevent petrol from spilling out and giving the place away. This, they did to ensure a steady stealing of fuel from the pipelines each time they come there-most times in the wee hours of the day, while their civil defence operatives accomplices look the other way.

    Before the July 14 operation, the vandals had stolen fuel from the pipelines without any hindrance. Three days to the Sallah festival on June 15 this year, which marked the end of Muslim Ramadan fasting period, the vandals stormed the pipelines and left the same way they had been leaving the hole on the pipelines covered with a disused tyre and refuse, to prevent fuel from gushing out after loading the product into three tankers.

    It was further gathered that just before the Eid-el-Kabir festival on August 21, the vandals again struck and took away fuel from their ‘colonised’ pipelines in not less than three 50,000-litre capacity tankers, according to residents.

    A resident, Oni Adeojo, said: ”They (NSCDC) operatives would usually fire shots in the air to create the impression that they are confronting vandals only for us to wake up to the reality that the notorious vandals operated unhindered and took away fuel in tankers.

    “Vandals have become emboldened such that on June 12, they stole fuel from the pipelines and again came two days to Ileya (Eid-el-Kabir) festival, yet, they got away with fuel stolen from the pipelines.”

    Worried by the menace of vandals and seeming cluelessness of the minions of law, community leaders in the estate decided to engage the services of operatives of a vigilance group to protect lives and property as well as keep watch over the pipelines and activities of civil defence operatives.

    The initiative paid off in the wee hours of August 29, after the die-hard vandals stormed the pipelines in three tankers. They had successfully loaded fuel into three 50,000-litre tankers as usual when the vigilante men sighted them and alerted residents, who wasted no time to rush to the scene. There, they met more than 15 civil defence operatives, more than the number deployed in the community, and drivers of the fuel laden tankers cum vandals.

    Surprisingly, the civil defence operatives were said to have freed the drivers and took away two of the tankers, while they reached out to a top official of a branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at NNPC depot in Ejigbo, a Lagos suburb, for a more competent driver to move the third tanker, which was difficult for their operatives to drive, to their Ikeja headquarters.

    “We later learnt that the vandals have been settling civil defence operatives with money each time they operate here and that a quarrel over money had resulted in an altercation while the operation lasted, which made the civil defence operatives to call for a reinforcement from their headquarters.

    “The release of the tanker drivers and the decision to impound the tankers was a ploy to deceive us from knowing the kind of relationship between the vandals and civil defence corps,” Adeojo added.

    Shortage of fuel, loss of job

    Like the distraught residents, stakeholders at the Ejigbo NNPC satellite depot are also worried about the development. A source at the depot, who demanded anonymity, disclosed to The Nation that a discreet investigation revealed that some civil defence operatives had acted in compromise with the pipelines syndicate. The result, according to the source, is that, each time vandals struck at the estate or any other area where pipelines are located, tanker drivers at Ejigbo NNPC depot would have little or no job to do as a result of shortage of fuel.

    “There are certain litres of fuel pumped into pipelines by NNPC on a daily and weekly basis. Once pipelines are violated by vandals, it would take days for NNPC to restore operations, and the result is that we would have little or no fuel to load at Ejigbo satellite depot, which serves many parts of the country.

    “On a normal day, we load up to 120 tankers per day. But when vandals repeated their violation of the pipelines, only six to seven tankers were able to get fuel from our depot. Most tanker drivers, for several days, did not have work to do while the filling stations they were supposed to supply did not have fuel to sell to customers.

    “Our leaders who went to the headquarters of NSCDC in Ikeja with the intention to engage the leadership of the organisation on the need to caution its men against aiding vandals were rebuffed,” the source, who asked not to be named said.

    Vandals’ gain, country’s loss

    While the notorious vandals continue to profit from where they do not sow, the consequences of their actions on pipelines located in Isheri Olofin Royal Estate has been a huge loss to the country. The value of the 12 tankers of fuel (50,000-litre capacity each) stolen between June and August 29 is inimical to the economic interests of the country.

    A liter of fuel from the NNPC to marketers costs N133.28 kobo, which means that the total value of the 12 (50,000 litre) tankers is around 600,000 litres in all. A simple multiplication of the 600,000 litres by the unit cost of a litre at N133.28 kobo translates to about N79.9 million.

    Contacted penultimate Thursday, the spokesperson of Lagos State Command of NSCDC, Ms Kehinde Bada, absolved operatives of the command of complicity in the attacks on pipelines and fuel theft.

    She said: “Our officers could not have been involved in such act. There is no way our men would have aided vandals to steal fuel from pipelines, because we have a crop of well trained and disciplined operatives.

    “Our officer, who led the team that foiled the vandals’ operation is an Assistant Commandant, and he was deployed from Abuja to head our anti-vandalism unit. He is a man of integrity and would not be involved in such unlawful conduct.

    “Contrary to the allegations, what actually happened during the operation you mentioned on August 28/29 was that our men successfully foiled the vandalisation of the pipelines in the estate and moved the three tankers to our headquarters in Ikeja. The fuel was evacuated yesterday by NNPC officials from Mosinmi depot in Ogun State.

    “It is corruption that is fighting back, and that is why all these allegations are being raised against our operations and men.”

  • Ijaw leader urges oil firms to replace pipelines 

    AN Ijaw youth leader, Mr. Tare Porri, yesterday, urged oil multinationals to identify and replace all expired pipelines in the Niger Delta.

    Porri, a former Legal Adviser of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, said such pipelines were a danger and the major cause of explosions in the region.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the youth leader  also asked oil companies to relocate their  headquarters to the Niger Delta, dismissing the argument that the region was not safe.

    Flanked by scores of Ijaw youths, Porri said since the pipelines were installed in 1958, they had not been replaced.

    The lawyer, who is vying for the chairmanship of the IYC , Central Zone, said: “In the entire Niger Delta today, all the pipelines crisscrossing the region have expired. Most of the explosions for which they blame the Ijaw youths are bust pipes as a result of corrosion.

    “ They (oil companies) know that these pipes have expiry dates. There’s a limit to how long they can last. Even human beings expire, talk more of pipes made by man.

    “These pipelines have been there since they found oil in Bayelsa  in Oloibiri. It’s still the same pipelines. Ijaw youths are hardworking. Most of the pipeline issues are not caused by Ijaw youths I can assure you. They are caused by equipment failure”.

    On the relocation of oil companies, he said: “Are you aware of what is happening in Lagos? Bayelsa is one of the safest States in Nigeria. Look at Ikorodu and the rest. They paint the Ijaw people black once there is an issue.

    “Once the multinationals do the needful, our youths are ready to protect the pipelines. We don’t have a single operational base , not to talk of headquarters here”.

    He said it was wrong for the federal government to keep spending so much money on security of pipelines when they knew “we have the capacity to protect the facilities”.

    “ Ijaw youths cannot burn down what they are paid to protect. But again, it is this security fund that some people are feeding fat on. So, they won’t do the right thing”, the youth leader said.

    He applauded the efforts of Governor Seriake Dickson to reconcile warring factions within the IYC, noting that after due consideration he had decided to step down as legal adviser in the Eric Omare-led group for the sake of peace.

    “We appreciate he governor for his untiring efforts in ensuring that peace returns to the Ijaw nation, especially in the IYC and INC. We need to bury our differences. A position has been taken and I cannot be bigger than the whole Ijaw people” he said.

  • NUPENG to Fed Govt: create agency to protect pipelines

    NUPENG to Fed Govt: create agency to protect pipelines

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has appealed to the Federal Government to create a Pipeline Protection Agency (PPA) that will be saddled with the protection of pipelines.

    Its President, Comrade Igwe Achese, gave the advice in Lagos, saying the agency should be well funded and equipped with modern gadgets like alarms, sensors and helicopters and gunships with night vision.

    Commending the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for re-opening Mosimi Depot, NUPENG said the development would make distribution of petroleum products to the South- west easy and reduce the pressure on petroleum tankers that throng the Lagos axis to load.

    He urged the NNPC to also re-open the  System B line so that petroleum products could be dispensed through that line.

    According to him, the NNPC should go further to reactivate and re-open other moribund depots in  the county.

    Achese lauded the corporation’s management under Dr. Maikanti Baru for the increase in refining capacity of the four refineries by 29 per cent.

    He added that the new model of each refinery purchasing crude oil at export parity price, processing and selling the products on its own account was in order.

  • JTF to hold surveillance contractors responsible for breached pipelines

    The Commander, Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, has vowed to hold pipeline surveillance contractors responsible for any breach of trunklines within their domains.

    Apochi, who was visibly angry at the ongoing attacks on pipelines despite the presence of surveillance contractors, said any of them caught napping at their Areas of Responsibility would not escape the wrath of the outfit.

    Speaking to the contractors and representatives of oil companies in an emergency meeting at the ODS headquarters, Yenagoa, Apochi urged the contractors to be proactive in carrying out their functions.

    Apochi further warned oil companies to monitor and repair any of their aged pipelines adding that the mandate of ODS was centered on the protection of oil and gas Installations prevent/deter criminalities among others.

    In the meeting that lasted several hours, the commander dwelt on cooperation between pipeline workers and pipeline maintenance groups; issues of breakage of pipeline within contractors’ areas of responsibilities and liabilities of surveillance contractors.

    He said:  “It has been revealed that some of their workers connive with criminals to commit vandalism therefore, a detailed knowledge of your workers is as important as the responsibility of protecting these critical national assets”.

    He appealed to oil companies to closely monitor the activities of their contractors  adding that firms, whose employees were found wanting, would be held accountable for any breached pipelines.

    He asked the host communities to work closely with surveillance contractors in the protection of pipelines in their environment.

    He said: “Operation Delta Safe will continue to ensure the interest of communities as entered into by oil companies in the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU).

    “No community should take law into its hands by blocking the operations of oil companies. Communities must not harbour criminals who fled scene of crime to hide communities”.

    Apochi said the essence of the meeting was for all stakeholders in the oil and gas business to forge a common front in the protection of national assets at their domains.

    “There must be clear courts identification of those not doing their duties from criminally minded elements.  We must draw a line between sincerity and pretence here.

    “Troops of Operation Delta Safe are here to protect those installations and not to witch-hunt anybody or group of people. Hence criminals must be identified to face the wrath of the law”, be said.

    Responding, some of the surveillance contractors thanked the commander for the meeting which they observed held last in 2003.

    They, however, requested oil companies to provide the necessary equipment to enable them effectively perform their functions.

    They further noted that some companies reneged on their obligations in GMoU adding that some oil firms were fueling crisis in communities through their tactics of divide and rule.

    But, they promised to work closely with Joint Task Force to ensure sanity of pipelines in the region.

    Present at the meeting were representatives of Bayelsa State Government officials of oil and gas, security agencies, surveillance contractors and representative of International oil companies.

  • How to win war against pipelines vandalism

    How to win war against pipelines vandalism

    Total Exploration and Production (E&P) Nigeria Limited is always at the forefront of the fight against pipeline vandalism and bombing of other facilities of oil companies in the crude oil and gas-rich Niger Delta.

    The oil giant again exhibited leadership in the oil industry, when it organised in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, an awareness workshop on campaign against vandalism, with the theme: “Environmental Safety Awareness on the Danger of Vandalism of Pipelines/Oil and Gas Facilities,” for youths from the oil giant’s host communities in Rivers State.

    One of the benefiting youths, Bright Green, who is the President of Pipelines Committee of Rumuekpe in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers state, in his remarks, called on other youths to avoid vandalising the facilities of oil companies.

    Green admonished the management of Total oil firm to be holding the workshop quarterly, for the young ones and other Niger Deltans to learn more about the evils of vandalism.

    A resource person, Dr. Emma Ogueri, while also speaking, urged Niger Delta youths to have positive identity for themselves, especially by acquiring qualitative education or having skills through learning trades.

    Ogueri said: “Do not fold your arms and allow some youths to vandalise facilities of oil companies in your communities. Our environment is our common heritage, we must protect it.

    “Our future generation depends on the present generation. Support healthy living. Vandalism is over-action in action. Let us dialogue. No gain, neither dividend nor payback in vandalism. Just stop it.”

    Another resource person, Bently George, noted that crude oil from vandalised pipelines would go into the water table, which he said would become dangerous to human health, stressing that vandalism would lead to environmental degradation and pollution.

    The Deputy General Manager (DGM), Community Affairs and Development of Total E&P Nigeria Limited, James Urho, in his welcome address, stated that strangers would not vandalise oil companies’ facilities in Niger Delta communities.

    He urged people of the crude oil and gas-rich communities not to relent in scaring and reporting vandals within and around facilities of multinationals in their areas.

    Urho’s remarks came barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari declared in Abuja that people without expertise would not be able to travel 70 kilometres offshore in the Niger Delta to bomb pipelines of oil companies.

    The Total’s DGM, while addressing the no fewer than 300 youths, including women, pointed out that the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the oil giant and its stakeholders must be respected, for peaceful coexistence.

    He said: “The issue of vandalism of oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta has been of great concern, not only to the companies, but most importantly to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is because hydrocarbon and its products are the main source of revenue towards the growth of Nigerian economy.

    “The campaign against vandalism should be adjudged as very crucial at this point, when Nigerians are battling with economic recession. Vandalism of facilities in our local environment has affected our means of livelihood, while destroying the ecosystem.

    “The effects of vandalism are enormous. Apart from damage to the environment, there could be instant death of the vandals from pressure effect.”

    Urho also revealed that there had recently been incidents of vandalism of oil and gas facilities in some of Total’s operational areas, which he said had caused serious environmental damage and in most cases affected socio-economic strengths of the various communities, while urging people of Niger Delta communities to say no to vandalism.

    End will definitely come to vandalism of the facilities of multinationals in the Niger Delta by militants and other restive youths, when the people of the various communities cooperate with the oil firms, security agencies and other stakeholders, to halt the menace and not to be collaborating with the saboteurs for pecuniary benefits. A word is enough for the wise.

  • People bombing pipelines not ordinary Nigerians, says Buhari

    People bombing pipelines not ordinary Nigerians, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday maintained that the people involved in the blowing up of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta region are not ordinary Nigerians going by the sophistication of equipment they are using.

    By going into the sea for almost 70 kilometers to blow pipelines with ease, he said, has necessitated the need for some professional associations with high competences to talk to their members to ensure they were not deploying their skills in a negative way to the detriment of the country.

    He spoke at the Presidential Villa after his investiture as the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE), led by its President, Mrs. Joana Maduka.

    He said: “How can ordinary Nigerians go into the deep sea almost 70 kilometers to blow installations, they are not ordinary Nigerians. So you have to talk to your members.”

    Disagreeing with the delegation that Nigerian engineers are under utilized, he said that 99 per cent of those that constructed the four refineries in the country were Nigerian engineers.

    Stressing that the government has always taken engineers seriously in the task of nation building, he described Nigerian engineers as those whose capacity to learn is unparalleled.

    Regretting that none of the four refineries in the country are currently working, he blamed the country’s leadership for the situation and not the engineers.

    “Nigerian engineers are competent and cost effective. I respect you all, it takes a lot to be a competent engineers”. He stated

    Speaking earlier, Maduka pointed out that Nigerian engineering companies have performed laudably well in the last one year in the procurement and construction of a 600 megawatt power generating plant and a 330KV switching station, the biggest in the national grid.

    She said that the role of an academy of engineering all over the world is to serve as Think Tank for the technological and economic development of a nation.

    “Countries like China, USA, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia are examples of nations that have harnessed the benefits of their engineering academies for economic progress. Fellows of the Academy of Engineering are Engineers who have reached the peak of their careers and are invited to join”.

    She noted that the anti-corruption efforts of the administration was a move in the right direction as it will bring about economic transformation of the country.

    The group also backed the move by the Buhari’s administration to fix all the infrastructural deficit in the country.

    She said: “This effort is very germane to the development of our nation. For this to be done effectively and efficiently, inputs are required from all cadres of engineering disciplines.

    “The physical indices of development of any country are engineering based like roads, railways, water supply, power, housing and other infrastructure. However, Nigerian Engineers are underutilized for the tasks and challenges of nation building.

    “For the country to attain sustainable growth status, the Nigerian engineers need to be adequately engaged in planning, policy formulation, consultancy and construction as well as industrial processes of production and manufacturing.

    “Furthermore, the fact is that Nigeria is grossly under-engineered as there are insufficient engineering professionals taking the population per capita basis. For example, in China, between 2000 and 2013, all the nine members of the Standing Committee (Ministers) of the Politburo were trained engineers.

    “Currently, about half of the cabinet ministers in Singapore are engineers and in China,  70 per cent of the cabinet are engineers”. She stated

    She disclosed that the Nigerian Academic Engineering is currently made up of 140 fellows.

  • Tompolo, kinsman trade accusations over pipelines bombings

    Tompolo, kinsman trade accusations over pipelines bombings

    Embattled former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta Chief Government Ekpemupolo has disavowed threats to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta.

    Some groups recently vowed to resume attacks on oil facilities, unless the EFCC drops fraud  charges against Tompolo.

    But Tompolo not only dissociated himself from the threats and links with the groups, he fingered one of his opponents as the mastermind.

    Speaking through his media consultant , Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, Tompolo “unequivocally dissociates himself from this threat as he did not send anyone to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta region because of his case with the EFCC”.

    He fingered his kinsman and an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Chief Michael Johnny as being behind the allegation.

    The allegation, he noted,  ”is coming two days after one Michael Johnny accused Tompolo in a television programme, ‘State of the Nation’, of being behind the bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.

    “Information at the disposal of security agencies indicates that a suspect in their custody had confessed that Michael Johnny sent him (the suspect) to bomb oil facilities.

    Tompolo said he has instructed his lawyers to sue Johnny for “malicious damage”.

    “Tompolo has said in many occasions that he would not resort to violence and bombing of oil facilities because of his case with the EFCC.”

    However, in a telephone conversation with our reporter, Chief Johnny, who is chairman of the Egbema/Gbaramatu Communities Development Council, insisted that Tompolo was culpable, daring him to turn himself to the security agencies  to refute the allegations.

    He said: “Tompolo is behind the bombings; he has been deceiving Mr President that he is the only one that can call the boys (militants) to order.

    “Security operatives will confirm what I am telling you and everybody knows. I am a Gbaramatu man. I cannot destroy my own community for any reason.

    “He wants to bomb his way out of problem.

    “All those arrested in connection with the bombing are his boys; even the one who is now claiming as the person who accused me was his commander that has been used to threaten my life in the past,” Johnny added.

    Besides, Johnny noted that he had no reason to cripple an APC government, stressing that even while he was in opposition against the past PDP administration he did not attack oil facilities to make his points

    “The antecedent of Tompolo would confirm that he is known to create problem to benefit from it. This has now become an APC/PDP problem. They want to cripple the APC-led government,” Jojnny added.

  • Govt urged to manage pipelines

    Participants at a workshop organised by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) have urged the government to grow the domestic gas market by managing its pipelines effectively.

    They bemoaned pipelines vandalism by some militant groups in the Niger Delta, saying their actions should be condemned.

    In a communiqué after the event, the participants, which included learning managers of the oil and gas managers and the executives of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), noted that pipeline vandalism would destroy and disrupt the industry if urgent steps were not taken to arrest the situation.

    The communique said: ‘’To effectively contain losses due to pipeline vandalism, Nigeria must overcome the toxic and explosive relationship between the government, corporate establishment and their host communities. ‘’

    It added: ‘’The government should hasten the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to attract the requisite foreign Direct Investment into the oil and gas industry and the steel industry to establish the basic steel infrastructure for easy access to steel products and its auxiliary facilities for effective pipeline management.’’

    Earlier, PTDF’s Acting Executive Secretary, Mr Ahmed Galadima Aminu, said Nigerians should continue to complement the government efforts to towards achieving a viable, sustainable and efficient oil and gas sector by experimenting on new innovative ways that would ensure that the country exploits its enormous gas potential.

    Noting the contributions of PTDF to nation building, he praised PTI for its role as a foremost training institute in the oil and gas sector.

    PTI’s Vice Principal Mrs Emily E. Arhagba said knowledge management is vital to the sector, especially gas pipelines operations.

    She assured that PTI will continue to train the needed manpower in the sector.

  • Troops take over sites of vandalised pipelines

    Troops take over sites of vandalised pipelines

    Troops of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have taken over the sites of vandalised pipelines in the creeks of Bayelsa State after a battle with militants.

    The state Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, said yesterday that the crack team from its command warded off the ambush laid by the militants to stop security operatives from getting there.

    He said after hot exchange of gunshots with the militants, the troops cleared the areas to give room for immediate clamping of the damaged pipelines.

    Armed militants had laid ambush after the Sunday’s bombing of pipelines belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and another oil firm, Aiteo in Nembe and Southern Ijaw local government areas of the state.

    But Agu, who spoke yesterday, said following the superior firearms of troops, the militants fled the scene by navigating the creeks.

    He said the operatives were following some leads to apprehend them.

    “We have secured the crime scene to give room for immediate clamping of the ruptured sections on the pipelines. For the fleeing militants, we will surely get them”, he said.

    But the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide yesterday, raised the alarm over military occupation of Oporoza, the Headquarters of Gbaramatu Clan in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

    IYC in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare, said the town was still under military siege two days after the military invaded the community.

    Omare said: “As at the time of issuing this statement, no person is allowed to move in and out of Oporoza Community. Yesterday (Sunday) evening, a 40-horse-power speed boat which came to rescue residents in serious medical condition was seriously attacked by the military and the state of the persons that were inside the boat is still unknown.

    “The people of Oporoza are now in a state of famine and even those that were brutalized cannot get access to medical care. If urgent steps are not taken, there may be massive death arising from the famine and brutalization.

    “The IYC strongly condemn this display of brutalization of innocent residents of Oporoza Community.

    “The IYC, call on Nigerians and the international community to urgently prevail on President Buhari to order the military to vacate Oporoza for the residents to have access to medical care and foods in order to avoid a humanitarian crisis”.

    Also, the World Assembly of Youth (WAY) said it was mediating in the renewed attack on oil facilities in Niger Delta region and clashes between farmers and herdsmen in various parts of the country.

    The Vice-President, WAY, Mr. Preye Ketebu-Brown, said in Yenagoa that the world youth body would tour crises-ravaged spots in Nigeria as part of its mediation plan for conflict resolution.

  • Bayelsa: ‘Avengers’ hit two pipelines

    Bayelsa: ‘Avengers’ hit two pipelines

    •Army combs Delta, arrests seven, seizes explosives, arms

    Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday launched into a gun battle with members of the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), in the creeks of Bayelsa State in the aftermath of twin blasts by the militants on two pipelines belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Aiteo.

    Simultaneouly, soldiers laid siege to Oporoza community, Warri South-West council area of Delta State, suspected to be the hideout of wanted ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.

    The troops arrested seven suspects and recovered explosives, arms and ammunition.

    There is suspicion in security circles that the NDA is working for Tompolo who has repeatedly denied the claim.

    Attacked at 2.15am yesterday were Nembe 1, 2 and 3 Brass to Bonny Trunk lines belonging to Aiteo, the latest by the group on targets in the oil and gas sector of the economy.

    Aiteo acquired the 100kn Nembe trunk line from Shell Production Development Company (SPDC) in 2014 but Shell still uses it to convey crude to its Bonny Export Terminal.

    The militants, who accessed the locations of the pipelines in speedboats, reportedly blew up the trunk lines with the aid of dynamites.

    A civil defence operative said that after the onslaught, the militants laid ambush around the area apparently to stop security operatives from accessing the crime scene.

    He said: “There were two blasts on Agip pipeline, one from Tebedeba to Brass. It happened opposite Orubiri community in Nembe. The other blast happened in Legosgbene in Southern Ijaw.

    “As I am talking to you now, our team has advanced to the Legosgbene. The perpetrators are laying ambush. We have been exchanging gunfire with them to be able to reach the site of the incident to see exactly what happened.

    “Our team is also advancing to Orubiri in Nembe with support from the army to ascertain the extent of the damage. Only the team from Nembe is being assisted by the army. For the Southern Ijaw, it is only the civil defence team that is advancing.”

    The State Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, confirmed the incident and said the militants were exchanging gunfire with his men at Southern Ijaw.

    He said: “We have deployed two teams to the two different locations where Agip pipelines were attacked in the state. Our team heading for the Southern Ijaw location discovered that the militants laid an ambush in the area. We will soon clear the area and ascertain the extent of damage done to the pipeline”.

    The Avengers claimed responsibility for the attacks on its Twitter handle.

    It said: “At about 2:15am on Saturday, avengers blew up Nembe 1, 2, 3 Brass to Bonny Trunk line belonging to Agip and Shell.”

    The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC) of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, Col. Isa Ado, could not be reached to respond to enquiries on the violence.

    There are fears in the state that the renewed wave of attacks on oil installation could worsen the economy of state.

    Civil servants are owed salaries for several months on account of the drop in its earnings from the federation account. The government however, condemned yesterday’s attacks by the militants.

    Information Commissioner, Jonathan Obuebite, in an online statement lamented the impact of the destruction of the key oil facilities on the state and wondered why the militants would disregard the economy of the state to attack pipelines.

    He observed that despite the concerted efforts of the government to move against such atrocities, the militants were still unrepentant in their acts of vandalism.

    Obuebite urged the group to make their grievances known to the appropriate authorities through dialogue rather than resorting to violence.

    He noted that the activities of the group were adversely affecting Ijaw people whose only source of livelihood is the environment.

    The Commissioner also called on security agents to be at alert and devise other means to protect very important oil and gas facilities to forestall further destructions

    Obuebite also urged Bayelsa residents, especially persons residing in oil-bearing communities to be very vigilant and work closely with security agents to apprehend anyone or group attempting to undermine key national assets.

    The Avengers repeated their threat which they first issued on Friday after a previous attack in Delta State that “Something Big is about to happen.”

    Shell declared force majeure on Bonny Light loadings after a previous attack on the Nembe creek trunk pipeline, but some exports had been continuing with delays caused by repair work.

    Armed troops yesterday stormed Oporozo in Delta State in their search for Tompolo who is wanted in connection with corrupt charges.

    The Nation gathered that men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield stormed the community at about 2:30am, arresting seven people.

    They also seized some explosives, arms and ammunition.

    Sources said that an earlier raid on Friday had led to the arrest of a man suspected to be one of those carrying out the attacks on oil and gas facilities in the state.

    He was reportedly handed over to the Navy and was subsequently flown to Abuja for interrogation.

    Several sources in the Ijaw community accused the troops of brutalizing residents including women and children.

    A community source, who did not want to be named said it was an operation on ‘Tompolo’s location’, adding that he learnt arrests were made, but was not sure if the ex-militant leader, who has been in a running battle with the federal government, was one of those arrested.

    “There was an attack on Tompolo’s location and arrests were made. Not specifically Oporoza, but where Tompolo is suspected to be hiding. Whether he was part of those arrested is what we don’t know”, he said.

    Although, all efforts to get official military confirmation were unsuccessful, a reliable military source in Delta confirmed that seven suspects were arrested in the midnight operation, adding that recovery of explosives, arms and ammunition were also made.

    “The operation is ongoing, seven already arrested, explosives they use in detonating, arms and ammunition was recovered. I won’t say the exact point where operations are happening for now, but we are around the villages to recover all the explosives, equipments used in blowing pipelines and, if possible, arrest all the culprits,” the source said.

    The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Commodore Raimi Mohammed, said he was not aware of the operation and the spokesman of the JTF, Colonel Isa Ado, did not pick call or respond to text messages sent to him.