[allAfrica.com]  [Africa_2004]


FG Asks EFCC to Prosecute Crude Oil Thieves

Vanguard (Lagos)
NEWS
July 19, 2004
Posted to the web July 19, 2004

By Hector Igbikiowubo
Lagos
THE Federal Government has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) to take over the prosecution of crude oil thieves from the
Nigeria Police in a fresh move to stem the rising incidence of crude oil theft
in the Niger Delta. The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company/Shell Petroleum
Development Company (NNPC/SPDC) joint venture alone loses 40,000 barrels daily
to oil theft. Navy Captain Goddy Ohuabunwa, commanding officer of NNS
Pathfinder, Eastern Naval Command, briefing newsmen on recent seizures of
barges, canoes, pumping machines and other implements used for siphoning crude
oil, said following presidential directive, 13 person arrested for crude oil
theft had been handed over to the EFCC for prosecution. The 13 suspects, he
said, were among the 47 who were handed over to the police for prosecution.
Captain Ohuabunwa said the Navy impounded a total of 22 barges including one
which is self propelled, four huge canoes with crude oil storage facilities,
some pumping machines, and about 10 road tankers from suspected crude oil
thieves.
He said the navy was set to check crude theft in the eastern area naval command
which dropped last year to 10,000 bpd but began to rise again lately. On
constraints faced by his men, Navy Captain Ohuabunwa said his men had to patrol
over 3000 creeks and that the boats used need constant refueling which
government makes readily available for operations. The commanding officer also
said the incidence of theft took place more on land and swamps such as Soku,
Cawthorne Channel, Alakiri, Awoba and Krakrama.
Also speaking on the issue, Mr. Mutiu Somonu, SPDC General Manager in-charge of
production, East, pointed out that the prosecution of those caught had not been
as effective as it should be. He said the company had even tried paying
prosecutors from its own end, but that this had not achieved the desired
results, adding that the judicial justice system in Nigeria was slow. "Besides,
witnesses are also afraid to come forward and testify," he said.
The General Manager Production said contrary to insinuations that the
presidency had not done much to assist in checking the incidence of crude oil
theft, there had been effort from that direction, adding that following the
presidency's intervention last year, there was a decline in the incidence of
oil theft. "But we believe the rising trend of theft indicates a relapse," he
said.
On whether the company still check to verify the source of suspected stolen
crude oil, it was gathered that this used to be done through a system called
'finger printing', but government put a stop to it, noting that whatever is
recovered is government property. Mr. Somonu said the Federal government was
very well aware of the rising trend of crude theft in the Niger Delta.

   

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