The Nigerian Navy would appear to have taken further steps to finally put a lie to claims by ex-militant Niger Delta militant, Tompolo against the Navy, with a display of the Service’s impressive results of its anti-crude oil theft crusade in the Niger Delta.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, resultslatest and, the Navy said its fight against crude oil theft in the country led to the destruction of 1,528 illegal refineries and seizure of over 8.1 million barrels of stolen crude in the past four years.
The Service said it also arrested 392 suspected oil thieves, confiscated over 86,500 MT of illegally refined AGO, 788,312 litres of illegally sourced PMS, 21 million litres of Kerosene and 8,790 storage tanks.
Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP), Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, who made this known, listed other successes recorded by the Navy in the last four years to include the arrest of 120 barges, 181 speed boats, 1,453 wooden boats laden with stolen products and 118 vehicles conveying stolen petroleum products.
Chairman, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), one of the private security firms engaged by the federal government to secure oil assets, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, had last week accused the Nigerian Navy of frustrating the war against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Tompolo said the Navy was aiding and abetting crude oil theft and other sharp practices associated with petroleum products in the oil-rich region.
But, further speaking on Navy’s anti-oil theft activities in the Niger Delta, Rear Admiral Ferreira said that Nigerian Navy efforts have greatly curbed oil theft and led to a significant increase in Nigeria’s daily crude oil production output from 1.23 million barrels in October 2022 to 1.8 million barrels in October 2024 as revealed by NUPRC.
Ferreira, who described Nigeria’s maritime domain as vast with a hub of shipping activities that has huge proven oil reserves and numerous oil and gas installations, lamented that “some unpatriotic elements are determined to plunder the country’s oil resources for personal gains through oil theft and other acts of economic sabotage,” lamenting that despite the “sterling performances of the Navy”, there have been misrepresentations in certain quarters aimed at tarnishing the Service’s image.
“These misrepresentations are peddled by mischief makers whose freedom of action in oil theft were severely degraded by the Nigerian Navy,” Rear Admiral Ferreira stressed.
But he assured of the determination of the Navy to protect the nation’s maritime space in order to secure Nigeria’s economic prosperity.
“In line with its statutory roles as encapsulated in the 1999 Constitution of the FRN, the Nigerian Navy has continued to respond to current and emerging security threats in the maritime domain. This is to enhance maritime security and create the desired environment for economic prosperity and national development. In this regard, the Nigerian Navy conducts anti-oil theft, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling and anti-Illegal fishing operations amongst other functions.
“Anti-oil theft operations remain the Navy’s most critical function due to the contribution of oil revenue to Nigeria’s economic survival. However, some unpatriotic elements are determined to plunder the country’s oil resources for personal gains through oil theft and other acts of economic sabotage,” Ferreira said yesterday (Monday, November 25) at a press briefing at the Ship House, the nation’s naval headquarters in Abuja, the FCT..
“Over the years, the Nigerian Navy employed measures to address the scourge of oil theft. These include intelligence-led patrols, robust Maritime Domain Awareness and the Choke Point Management and Control regime involving the deployment of Naval Security Stations at strategic checkpoints within the creeks to deny oil thieves freedom of action.
“In the past four years, the Nigerian Navy has confiscated over 8.1 million barrels of stolen crude oil, 86,500 MT of illegally refined AGO, 788,312 litres of illegally sourced PMS and about 21 million litres of Kerosene. Other arrests include 120 barges, 181 speed boats, 1,453 wooden boats laden with stolen products as well as 118 vehicles conveying stolen petroleum products. During the period, the Nigerian Navy deactivated over 1,528 illegal refining sites and 8,790 storage tanks, and arrested 392 suspected oil thieves. The suspects were handed over to relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.
“Of particular note were the arrests of MT SWEET MIRI and MT VILLANIRIS 1 both laden with a combined quantity of 4 million litres of stolen crude oil. Mindful of the possibility of certain bad eggs within, the Nigerian Navy has strict disciplinary systems to deal with such personnel in line with the Armed Forces Act. In the course of our operations, some gallant personnel have paid the supreme prize while fighting oil theft. We salute their sacrifice and pray for the families they left behind.”
Rear Admiral Ferreira added: “In view of its transnational nature, the fight against oil theft, also involves collaboration with our neighbours such as Cameroon, Benin and Togo who assisted in the apprehension of vessels such as MT NEW ANGEL and MT JASMINE involved in crude oil theft. In November 2024, as part of its regional efforts to enhance maritime security, the Nigerian Navy hosted Exercises CROCODILE LIFT and GRAND AFRICAN NEMO which are multinational exercise involving Nigerian Navy Ships, boats and aircrafts as well as ships from regional navies and partners such as France, UK and Spain. The exercises were geared toward enhancing our international partnership and collaboration to curb maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.
“The Nigerian Navy also has a transparent process of working with industry regulators such as NUPRC, NMDPRA, NIMASA and NNPCL in the monitoring and enforcement of approvals granted to operators to lift crude oil and other refined products. This enables the Nigerian Navy to ensure compliance for legitimate upstream and downstream operations on behalf of the regulators. Nigerian Navy efforts have greatly curbed oil theft and led to a significant increase in Nigeria’s daily crude oil production output from 1.23 million barrels in October 2022 to 1.8 million barrels in October 2024 as revealed by the NUPRC.
“The positive outcome of the Nigerian Navy’s anti-crude oil operations is also evident in the Trans – Forcados and Trans – Niger pipelines which have continued to report about 100 per cent terminal factor in the past few months. Furthermore, recall that in 2022, the Nigerian Navy succeeded in eradicating piracy in Nigerian waters, and Nigeria was delisted from the International Maritime Bureau List of piracy prone countries.
“Despite these sterling performances, there have been misrepresentations in certain quarters aimed at tarnishing the image of the Nigerian Navy. These misrepresentations are peddled by mischief makers whose freedom of action in oil theft were severely degraded by the Nigerian Navy. Despite disruptions by these unpatriotic elements, the Nigerian Navy has remained critical in the success of several strategic initiatives such as the Presidential Crude Oil Barging Regime.
“For instance, an alarm of crude oil theft on MT PRAISEL in August 2023 at Escravos in which the Navy was alleged to have been involved was proven to be false. Similarly, on 3Â Â Â May 2024, another false allegation led to the disruption of the operations of MT PRESTIGIOUS and MT MONTAGU involved in the Presidential Crude Oil Barging Operations at Bonny. These disruptions resulted in the loss of over 1.2 million barrels of crude oil with attendant reduction in revenues during the period of their arrest between 4 – 16 May 2024.
“Also, on 7 Nov 24 based on credible intelligence, a barge suspected to be involved in oil theft was arrested in Warri by Nigerian Navy personnel. Also, on 10 Nov 24, MT LADY MARTINA conveying HPFO to MT JASMINE S involved in Presidential Crude Oil Barging Operations at Bonny was alleged to have stolen crude oil. The Nigerian Navy conducted a series of tests which confirmed the product onboard to be HPFO as approved by regulatory authorities.
“These false accusations were not backed by evidence, but primarily designed to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Navy and dampen the morale of personnel involved in anti-oil theft operations. In addition, the perpetrators of these false alarms inflict unwarranted disruptions in legitimate business in the oil industry. This is detrimental to the ease of doing business in Nigeria’s oil sector and negates Mr President’s desire to increase investment in the oil industry.”
“The Nigerian Navy will continue to remain focused in carrying out our functions as a highly professional and dedicated force in line with our statutory roles. In doing so, the Navy will continue to work with Sister Services, partners and credible stakeholders in line with the whole-of-society approach in protecting our nation’s resources for economic prosperity and national development,” Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP) .
