Tag Archives: Oil Theft

NSCDC suspends two officers for alleged oil theft

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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has suspended two of its officers for alleged involvement in oil theft in Bayelsa.

The corps sp?okesman, Emmanuel Okeh, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

Mr. Okeh said the management of the Corps condemned the alleged possession of illegal petroleum products suspected to be diesel (AGO) by two officers of the Corps who were recently arrested and presented to journalists by the police.

He said the? ?Commandant-General of the Corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu, had set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the matter for proper action to be taken in line with the public service rules.

According to him, the affected personnel, Assistant Superintendents of Corps (ASCI) Agah Utavie, and Angel Kilosomewo, ?had been suspended from the service until investigations were concluded.?

He said the Commandant-General of the Corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu, had therefore warned officers and men of the Corps to desist from such act or face the full wrath of the law.

NAN reports that the police had on March 23 presented to journalists two officers of the NSCDC for allegedly dealing in suspected illegally refined diesel in Otuasegha area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

The police? spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, had said that the suspects were arrested by the Inspector-General of Police (I-G’s) Special Task Force on March 7. ?

Mr. Moshood said their office had been informed and that the police investigating team was awaiting their response to conclude investigation into the case and arraign them in court.

 

Source: NAN

Navy Arrests Three Cameroonians, Nigerian Over Oil Theft

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The Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base, Ibaka in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, has apprehended three Cameroonians and a Nigerian with 66 drums containing 250 litres each of product suspected to be Premium Motor Spirit.

The suspects include Kokah Ekema, 38; Money Francis, 27; Nako Otto, 25; and a Nigerian, Who-Knows Nya, 30 years.

The Commanding Officer of the base, Navy Captain Siyanbade Adedokun, who paraded the suspects before journalists in Ibaka on Tuesday, said one Cotonou wooden boat equipped with two 40 horsepower outboard engines had also been seized from the suspects.

Adedokun stated that all the suspects would be handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“We have arrested three Cameroonians and one Nigerian with 66 drums of 250 litres of product suspected to be Premium Motor Spirit. All the suspects will be handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“The more we patrol, the more we make the maritime environment safe for legitimate business to thrive and at the same time we try to patrol our waterways, basically concerning the strategic nature of the base, just very close to an international water.

“It is a very strategic place to police so that we won’t have people from neighbouring countries coming to perpetrate illegality in the country,” he said.

Adelakun, who frowned at the sabotaging manner exhibited by the criminals regarding the economy, added that the Navy’s standard strategy would not allow them any breathing space.

He, however, attributed the success recorded to frequent patrol of the nation’s waterways and creeks, based on credible information.

The state commandant of the NSCDC, Obiajulu Obiageli, who received the suspects from the Navy, praised the commanding officer for working hard to protect the territorial integrity of the country.

She noted that the trend would also sustain business activities in the maritime sector.

Obiageli, who was represented by the Chief Inspector of the corps, Victor Uweh, assured the Navy that the corps would carry out its statutory mandate by investigating the suspects.

She noted that if the suspects are found culpable, they would face the wrath of the law.

Credit:

http://punchng.com/navy-arrests-three-cameroonians-nigerian-oil-theft/

Court Sentences 9 Foreigners To 5 Years Imprisonment Over Oil Theft

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A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday sentenced nine foreigners to five years imprisonment for stealing 3,423 metric tons of crude oil.

 

Among the convicts were five Filipinos and four Bangladeshi. They are Axel Joseph, Gibo Jabone, Juanito Camireno, Suarin Fernando and Gatila Jaypee.

 

Others are Islam Shahinul, Islam Rafiqul, Shibli Nomany and Rolando Comendador.

 

Justice Ibrahim Buba convicted them on four counts in relation to the crime and sentenced each of them to a jail term of five years. He, however, gave an option of N20 million fine.

 

Delivering the judgment, Buba said that he was satisfied that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), proved its case beyond reasonable doubts.

 

“The case of the prosecution is as clear as the daylight,” he said.

 

He added that the failure of the convicts to supply evidence that they had lawful permit to deal in crude oil further strengthened the prosecution’s case.

 

The judge said the evidence of the prosecution witnesses was not opposed.

 

He agreed with PW5 who stated that the product was illegally sourced in Nigeria as the Department of Petroleum Resources confirmed to the EFCC that MT Asteris was not licenced to deal with crude oil in Nigeria.

 

The judge noted that it was the likes of the convicts that had made Nigeria a laughing stock in the eye of the world.

 

He said it was not right for anyone to deprive the country the enjoyment of its natural resources by illegal means.

 

Justice Buba said the court had the duty to send a strong signal to Nigerians and non-Nigerians, that the country had laws which were enforceable.

 

“It is people like the convicts that have made Nigeria a laughing stock in the eyes of the world. The court must send a strong signal that Nigeria is a nation; not a nation of booty.

It is not right for either Nigerians or foreigners to deny this country its God-given natural resources through illegal use.

Accordingly, this court hereby sentence each convict to five years imprisonment on count one with effect from March 27, with an option of N5 million fine,” the judge held.

 

 

He also sentenced them to five years imprisonment each on counts two, three and four or a fine of N5 million for each count.

 

The judge held that all the sentences were to run concurrently excluding the option of fine.

 

In addition, the judge ruled that the vessel, MT Asteris, and the cargo on board are to be forfeited to the Federal Government.

 

“For purposes of clarity, each convict is to serve five years term of imprisonment with effect from March 27 or a fine of N20 million for all the four counts.” he held.

 

The convicts were arrested by the Nigerian Navy on March 27 while trying to export the product which was loaded in their vessel, out of the country.

 

The EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, had told the court that the foreigners acted contrary to Section 1(19) (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

 

Oyedepo said the offence also contravened the provisions of Section 4 of the Petroleum Act, Cap P10, Laws of the Federation 2004.

 

To prove his case, he called six witnesses.

 

 

 

(NAN)

JTF Arrests 18 Suspects Of Oil Theft, Destroys 31 Illegal Refineries

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The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, ‘Operation Pulo Shield’, arrested 18 suspected oil thieves and destroyed 31 illegal oil refineries in multiple raids in July.

This is contained in a statement issued by Lt.-Col. Isa Ado, media coordinator of the JTF, in Yenagoa yesterday.

It stated that troops of JTF deployed at Iguododo community and Chanomi Escravos in Orhionmwon and Warri South West Local Government Areas of Edo and Delta discovered and destroyed 15 illegal refining camps.

The statement noted that the suspects operated with four Cotonou boats, seven plastic reservoirs, 34 drums and 21 surface tanks filled with illegally refined Automated Gas Oil (diesel). It stated that other items discovered and destroyed were 21 cooking ovens and eight pumping machines.

The statement stated that the suspects fled on sighting the troops. “The squad also arrested 16 suspects for other criminal offences ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, sea piracy, cultism and pipeline vandalism.

“Items recovered from them include locally made gun with live rounds of ammunition and axe. The suspects are in custody of the JTF for preliminary investigation before handing them over to prosecuting agency,” it stated.

Read More: sunnewsonline

Drastic Reduction In Oil Theft In Nigeria Per Month – Nigerian Navy

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The Nigerian Navy on Tuesday said it has achieved a drastic reduction in oil theft in the country from 2.4 million to 300,000 barrels per month by June, 2015.
The Navy’s claim represents a total of 87.5 per cent reduction in the theft of the nation’s oil resources in the maritime domain.
The former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, made the comment while handing over the leadership of the service to his successor, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Jibrin advised his successor, who according to him was in his team, to sustain the tempo of achievements recorded by the Navy by ensuring total elimination of the theft of the nation’s crude oil resources.
He said the Navy’s success was in response to a mandate by former President Goodluck Jonathan to the service to reduce crude oil theft and other forms of criminality in the maritime area
He added, “On my assumption of office on January 20, 2014, the nation was faced with a myriad of security challenges which also affected the maritime environment.
“The then President, Commander-In-Chief, therefore mandated the NN to reduce crude oil theft and other security challenges in our waters.
“With the help of Almighty Allah and commitment of our officers and ratings, we were able to reduce losses from crude oil theft, which used to be 2.4 million barrels per month to about 300,000 barrels in the month of June, 2015.
“I therefore urge the new CNS, who is part of the success team, to sustain the tempo of total elimination of the menace of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.”

The new Chief of Naval Staff,  Ibas, said the Navy would not allow the severe impact of maritime crimes on the nation’s economy to linger.
He added that the source of oil theft and other crimes in the maritime domain would be frontally tackled under him.

Nigeria Loses N5tn Annually To Oil Theft

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The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerco Nigeria Limited, Yabagi Sani said the country is experiencing an annual operational losses of $25bn (about N5tn) from the oil and gas sector.

He said the losses were being incurred through crude oil theft and non-adherence to principles and standards as stipulated in the Weights and Measures Act.

Yabagi’s firm is currently implementing the legal metrology system in Nigeria on behalf of the Weights and Measures Department of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

He said implementation of legal metrology in the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy would help reduce the massive corruption in the sector.

Yabagi said in view of the dwindling oil revenue from the oil and gas sector, strict adherence to principles and standards of weights and measures were fundamental for the growth of any economy.

However, he regretted that since 2013, there had been a lot of slack and ineffectiveness in the enforcement of the legal metrology law in the various sectors of the economy particularly the oil and gas sector.

Read More: Punch

Uduaghan Blames Oil Theft On International Community

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Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, has blamed the international community for complicity in the increasing rate of crude oil theft in Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration of 30 gunboats procured by the Defence Headquarters for the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, he said that 80 percent of Nigeria’s stolen crude oil was exported for use by refineries outside Nigeria. “The international community cannot be exonerated from the criminality of crude oil theft in Nigeria. The international community needs to cooperate with Nigeria to wipe out crude oil theft,” he said.

Uduaghan said President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to wiping out crude oil theft, pipeline vandalization and other criminal acts bedeviling the nation’s economy. “This crude oil theft requires the participation of all of us. Some of the people who are involved in the crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism are our brothers, our friends and in some cases, our heroes,” he said.

He added that vandalization of pipelines was impacting negatively on gas supply to power plants which in turn has reduced available power supply in the country. “President Jonathan has done a lot in the power sector. More power plants have been completed during his administration more than any other administration, but the challenge we have now is sabotage to our gas pipelines,” the governor added.

Uduaghan meanwhile commended the military for its fight against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism reiterating that the gunboats would boost the operations of the JTF in the Niger Delta. Nigeria loses an estimated $6 billion yearly to crude oil theft.

Credit: CAJ News

How FG Intends To Fight Oil Theft With New Technology

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 President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday in Abuja, that the Federal Government would  develop a new technology to combat the activities of oil thieves in Nigeria.

 Jonathan disclosed this while fielding questions at the second session of the 2015 Presidential Debate organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG), ahead of the general elections.

Jonathan said that the issue of oil theft was a serious challenge that must be dealt with, adding that the government was developing a technology to fight it to a standstill.

He noted that the private sector participation must be encouraged to make the oil sector truly profitable to the point of exporting petroleum products. “The issue of stealing our common assets; we are developing a technology now, contract have been awarded and we must stop it.

“The issue of downstream is a combination of government and private sector; it has to do with refining, production of fertilizers, petrochemicals.

“The privatised companies of government especially the Eleme Petrochemicals is working very well.

“That is a big success story as the Eleme Petrochemicals was abandoned but now it is one of the biggest in the World.

“They are planning to expand and bring in fertiliser production into it.”

He said that the government planned to liberalise the downstream sector for more private sector participation in the exportation of petroleum products.

According to him, the NNPC and the entire sector will have to be unbundled even without the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Credit: NAN