Security operatives on Thursday reported the discovery of an illegal bunkering camp in Bayelsa that links prominent security firms to widespread oil theft operations.
Their surveillance operations which started on Sunday, June 23rd, 2023 saw the security operatives conducting patrols in the Okoroba axis of the Nembe local government Area, Bayelsa state. Their mission led them towards the Elemuama axis, where they discovered a remote bunkering camp.
Hence, the operatives moved to dismantle the illegal operation, uncovering startling evidence implicating a security company reportedly linked to a lawyer providing surveillance security services to a major oil exploration and production company belonging to an oil merchant.
The identity cards discovered during the operations show that they were employed by the security company which raises questions on the senior lawyer and his company’s involvement in illicit oil bunkering activities in the region. This evidence is a significant breakthrough in efforts to curb such activities.
Further investigation revealed two additional unauthorized bunkering camps nearby. The surveillance team seized and subsequently destroyed two large boats loaded with crude oil and a fiber boat, which were set ablaze to prevent further illicit activities. These boats could carry large quantities of oil, indicating the scale of the operation.
The companies and individuals under scrutiny disclosed that they are a cartel of conventional bunkers whose operations are spread across Bayelsa State and in the creeks of Nembe—Brass in particular. Their leaders own several illegal bunkering camps and control a vast transportation network that transports illegal refined petroleum products to various parts of the state.
The cartel remains a notorious economic saboteur within Nembe and Brass L.G.As. known for their role in pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering operations. They orchestrate a sophisticated network that recruits and transports individuals to carry out these destructive activities. They however continue to evade justice underscores the need for stringent measures to halt systematic economic sabotage in the region.
On October 10, 2023, the Nigerian Senate, in its commitment to addressing the issue, revealed that the country lost N2.3 trillion to crude oil theft. Senator Ned Nwoko revealed that pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering have precipitated a severe socio-economic crisis in Nigeria. He emphasized that statistical data underscores the gravity of the situation, further exacerbated by the complicity of some security agents collaborating with the perpetrators.
In a recent disclosure, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd reported a staggering 400 incidents of crude oil theft within the past week. The bulk of the 400 incidents recorded during the week occurred in the Western region of Rivers and Bayelsa states, with 265 incidences.
They include illegal refineries, unauthorized pipeline connections, vandalism, oil spills, and unlicensed storage sites. From June 15 to June 21, 2024, the NNPC identified 165 illegal refineries, 69 unauthorized connections, 15 acts of vandalism, eight oil spills, and 19 illegal storage locations. Additionally, there were 74 vessel AIS infractions, among other violations.
An anonymous regional expert suggested that “measures such as the complete confiscation of assets and freezing all accounts using BVNs will be a highly effective course of action by the EFCC and relevant bodies as Nigeria seeks to combat oil theft. We must ask the EFCC what steps they are taking to address this situation.”
For several years, oil producers have lamented the debilitating effects of pipeline vandalism, crude theft, and illegal crude trafficking.
Some of the worst-hit companies transport their crude through significant arteries like the NCTL. These disruptions not only lead to production downtime and loss of crude oil but also incur additional expenses for facility repairs.
Gangs and operatives identified in this report are primarily responsible for these actions. While the extent of their independent operations is still being determined, it is evident that the audacity of these activities is not solely due to their resolve.
Even as their identities are now known to security operatives, the relevant authorities may find it easier to arrest, charge, and prosecute before a competent court of law in order to curb their sole intent to sustain high economic sabotage against the country.
Despite numerous alarms raised by various entities and the government, these crimes continue to benefit the perpetrators, leading to ongoing unchecked activities.
Measures like asset confiscation, freezing the bank accounts of known criminals using their BVNs, arrests, and expedited prosecutions must be intensified. Nigeria cannot afford to let these criminals destroy and impoverish the economy to insolvency.
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