Nigeria Burns Confiscated Ships To Avoid Investigating High-Profile Figures Involved In Oil Theft

Bubaraye Dakolo, the current chair of the Bayelsa state traditional rulers council, has strongly asserted that relevant authorities of Nigeria burnt the vessel loaded with stolen crude and a capacity of 800,000 litres to silently cover up for the true culprits who are behind the country’s oil theft menace.

Per the monarch, the people of Nigeria’s government who are parading as the suspects of oil thefts were victims of the circumstances. Naija News reported on Monday that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd, in a statement, confirmed that a private security contractor who was engaged by the corporation had intercepted a suspicious vessel that was loaded with crude oil.

The NNPC Ltd, in a statement by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba Deen Muhammad, reported that the vessel was sailing to Cameroun with the cargo when it was reportedly apprehended at an offshore site. According to Muhammad, the ship has been conducting unlawful operations for 12 years.

The statement added that an initial investigation had revealed that the onboard oil cargo was unlawfully sourced from a well jacket offshore based in Nigeria’s Ondo State. There were zero valid documents for the vessel or crude oil cargo on the vessel at the time of the arrest.

The captain, as well as the crew, was on board at the time of the arrest.

On Tuesday, the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, collaborating with Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, put the detained vessel on fire.

Per Captain Warredi Enisuoh, the Executive Director, Operations Technical at Tantita Security Services, the reason behind destroying the vessel is to send out a message to those who invest in illegal activities in the waters of Nigeria that this is what it’s going to take if they wish to engage in such businesses.

Reacting to such a development, Dakolo, on Wednesday, said that the seized vessel was soon set ablaze to avoid investigations on those behind this crime.

He said he could tell that the vehicle was burnt as it was cheaper to get it burned than to rein in the oil thief behind it. He added that Nigeria has managed to parade the uneducated, young, and helpless youth from the Niger Delta as typical thieves for decades.

Dakolo explained that most thieves are a victim of oil thieves and might need to hear that the real oil thief is an individual who owns a yacht, owns a golf course, or cannot sleep peacefully for a night in the Niger Delta due to insecurity and mosquitoes.

Reference: Arise TV, Sahara Reporters, Naija News

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Source: Maritime Shipping News