By Emma Amaize, Sam Oyadongha; Egufe Yafugborhi; Ozioruva Aliu; Akpokona Omafuaire & Chioma Onuegbu
An ex-Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Idada Ikponmwen (retd.), Udom Ekpoudom, Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG (retd.), and other Niger Delta stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to stop chasing oil thieves with already compromised security officials.
The stakeholders who examined information leakage by security agents to oil thieves said thieves in military uniforms would not deter thieves in civilian uniforms; rather, both would join hands together, which is currently the fad. They said some high-profile criminal gangs were conscripting their members into the nation’s security forces and urged the government to fish out the saboteurs and deal with them.
Controversial bombshell
The Chairman of the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, in November, last year, accused some security officials of complicity in oil theft. He spoke when he received the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, led by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, at Oporoza, Delta State. Tompolo said Navy officials shot at operatives of Tantita, NSCDC and DSS who arrested a vessel in Rivers State and Ovwian in Delta State in recent encounters.
He said, “We want the NBA to support the President of this country and Tantita Security Services because while doing this work, we step on the toes of the big boys over there in Lagos, and Abuja. Most times, you see that Tantita Security now has confrontations with the Nigerian Navy and every well-meaning Nigerian knows the function of the Nigerian Navy and Tantita now, but nobody wants to come out to face the truth. If we happen to arrest anybody now, they will get a lawyer from Abuja, Lagos, or Ibadan to do your case very well.
“The GMD said production has increased to 1.8mbd. Some few days back, our people intercepted a vessel in Port Harcourt, where the Nigerian Navy was shooting at Tantita Security, with Police, DSS, and Civil Defence. We want to implore and beg that you have a role to play in this present situation because if we are not careful in this country we may not have money to do any reasonable thing. All of us here know that Nigeria is facing hardship. We are going to do our part locally but you are there at the top. If we make any arrests today, lawyers will stand on the other side and on this side. I appeal that you help us. Nobody can load a vessel of 500 metric tonnes in this area because they do not have the capacity. The person comes from either Lagos, Abuja or neighbouring countries. So we have to step on a lot of toes.
“I cannot travel anywhere after my court cases because of the key people fighting this battle. If I want to travel to Abuja to visit you, I have to go with security. If I have two or three security personnel, none of them is happy with Tompolo and they are now even working with people that are top players of oil theft,” he added.
Inaugurate Marines to fight oil thieves —Ikponmwen, ex-Army Provost Marshal
Ikponmwen, a distinguished South-South leader, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard in Benin City, Edo State, attributed the ongoing charade to systemic failure, saying the Nigerian Navy, which is the country’s lead agency in the war against oil thieves, had no business pursuing oil thieves, which is poles apart from its primary role.
According to him, ”there are so many reasons why oil theft has not been solved; I do not think anybody takes the question of tackling it seriously. We have been hearing that the military is involved; are you not aware that those who are supposed to keep the law are the ones breaking it? When the people who are supposed to fight the scourge are deeply involved in it, who do we blame? Is the military supposed to police the seas? The primary responsibility of the Navy, jointly with the Army and the Air Force, is to protect the territory of Nigeria and preserve it from external aggression. That is the primary role of the military. Take the Navy out of this. Look at the United States that we have copied, they have the Marines.
“The Marines are responsible for the security of the maritime and the high seas, why can’t we create the necessary organs that can fight these oil thieves? The system is ineffective, we are running a democracy, but we all know there is no democracy.”
Govt. should deal with security infiltrators — Ekpoudom, ex-DIG
Ex-DIG Udom Ekpoudom, speaking in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, expressed concern about security officials passing information to criminals, saying the thievery would continue under such a situation if unchecked. He advised the government to ensure that security operatives who sabotage the fight against oil theft were dealt with, saying, “you cannot be fighting crime and be a criminal at the same time. But that is if the recent revelation by ex-militant leader Tompolo is true.”
Implement a see-through metering system — Brador, ex-oil bunkerer
A former oil bunkerer, Niyi Brador, stated, “As a way out of these endless accusations and counter-accusations, the federal government should adopt a transparent metering system in the oil industry to know the actual volume of crude oil leaving every flow station.
“The security agencies should not be blamed alone; the oil industry is also not immune to the large-scale corruption rocking the Nigerian society.”
Criminal gangs conscript members into our security forces — Akpan, activist
The Executive Director of the COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peace building in Akwa Ibom State, Saviour Akpan, said, “Unfortunately, the problem is associated with the recruitment process into the nation’s security forces. High-profile criminal gangs sponsor their members into different law enforcement and security agencies in Nigeria.
“Secondly, 98 percent of those who joined the nation’s security and armed forces were not out of patriotism but because the security sector has openings that can absorb even the starkest illiterate, who become a menace to the nation’s security apparatus.
“Thirdly, our reward and sanction system does not encourage patriotism, especially now that the number of people waiting to loot or steal the nation’s commonwealth is even greater than those currently stealing. I am not surprised with the revelations of the different actors and victims of this third-degree security services provision because the system encourages it.”
Oil cabal bigger than Tompolo, Tantita, says Clarkson, ex-MOSIEND spokesperson
A lawyer and former Spokesman of the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta, MOSIEND, Amaebi Clarkson, said Tompolo’s disclosure that some security officials were compromising the battle against oil theft by leaking information to the oil thieves was only re-echoing what was in the public domain.
According to him, “We, particularly in the Delta, know that our boys are not the major culprits in the illegal bunkering enterprises. The so-called Niger Delta youths branded as oil thieves are small fries. They neither have the resources to bring in vessels nor the reach and logistics to navigate deep seas where the oil businesses are done.
“I have said in several forums that the government knows the oil thieves and is possibly part of the racketeering. They only try to make a public show of this wolfish cry of oil thieves and parade our youths as fall guys for their thriving business. The Nigerian Navy should have the gadgets to know, see, and monitor any vessel that enters our territorial waters, so why are they unable to apprehend the thieves?
“Tompolo and his Tantita are a pawn in the chess game in the web of a well-oiled bunkering enterprise. He should get his cruise while it lasts because the players are far above his league. The Nigerian state cannot simply run institutions ranging from law enforcement agencies to economic regulation. It is worthless analyzing micro-aspects of a national metastasis.”
Slur campaign against Tompolo — Ekerefe, activist
National Leader of New Era Movement, a Niger Delta advocacy group, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, said: “Though Tantita Security Limited has played a pivotal role in the fight against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region and significantly boosted daily crude oil production capacity of Nigeria, it is obvious that some bad eggs in the security agencies in collaboration with some big oil thieves are not comfortable with the operations of the company. They are doing everything, including sponsoring a smear campaign against Tompolo and Tantita Security Limited. While everyone is entitled to free speech, it is unacceptable for our people to be used to fighting a proxy war in favor of the oil cabals.
“We call on our brothers involved to desist from such acts and give room for dialogue and constructive engagement if they have genuine concern or grievances.”
Oil theft is an organized crime — Gbemre
Social justice advocate and Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), Zik Gbemre, who noted Nigeria’s military involvement in oil theft, however, said Tompolo had no moral justification to engage in the recent blame game he sparked on the fight against intractable oil theft in Nigeria.
“The Defense Headquarters can no longer live in denial of the military’s deep involvement in oil theft. They aid and abet or directly engage in the money-spinning economic sabotage. Oil theft in Nigeria is an organized crime that involves collusion by critical stakeholders, including the IOCs, militant leaders, security agencies, industry regulators, especially the NNPCL, host community players, power brokers in government, and contractors who fix vandalized assets.
“This is already an open secret. Tompolo is not the first person to raise these allegations. As governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike fearlessly mentioned names of security personnel and service commanders directly sponsoring oil theft under his domain at the time.”
Culled from Vanguard.
