Tompolo's Team Discovers, Destroys Vessels Carrying Stolen Crude Oil, Nigerians Kick
- Nigerians have decried the haste at which a vessel with stolen crude oil was destroyed by the Nigerian Navy Tantita Security Services belonging to Tompolo
- According to Nigerians, the vessel held the key to unmasking persons behind the incessant oil theft in the Niger Delta
- Peter Obi stated that it takes a lot of logistics to get involved in oil theft, calling it a thriving state enterprise
The fight against oil theft in Nigeria took a pleasant turn when the operatives of the Nigerian Navy and Tantita Security Services, a company run by Government Ekpemupolo AKA Tompolo on Monday, October 10, 2022, set ablaze an illegal oil bunkering vessel intercepted with stolen crude oil in Escravos area of Delta State.
ThisDay reports that the vessel was arrested on Thursday, October 6, 2022, with seven crew members close to Escravos near Warri.
Source: UGC
Nigerians pick holes at destruction of vessel
About 600 to 650 cubic metres of stolen crude oil were hidden in five compartments in the vessel with registration number L85 B9.50.
PAY ATTENTION: Subscribe to Digital Talk newsletter to receive must-know business stories and succeed BIG!
Tompolo's team and the Nigerian Navy set the vessel on fire in the presence of journalists.
But Nigerians have cried foul regarding the sudden destruction of the vessel, which many say holds the secret to the menace of oil theft in Nigeria.
Brand journalist and social commentator Ikem Okuhu said nobody would know the true identity of the owners of the destroyed vessel.
Okuhu said:
"Now, who owns that vessel that was destroyed? Will we ever know? Now it has been destroyed, complete with the economic asset it has in its vast belly"
Another journalist, Sunny Igboanugo also said a proper investigation should have been done before setting the vessel ablaze.
Igboanugo said:
"That ship could have been intercepted so that the world will know the secret of this oil theft. But, no! It has to be destroyed. As if we don't know the mafia way!"
Tayo Odusanya said that the destruction of the vessel is suspicious.
Odusanya stated:
"Very Large Crude Carrier(VLCC), 300m long with 2 million barrels capacity. Came into our waters, loaded and left unseen by the Navy."
Peter Obi's stance on oil theft
Nigeria has been plagued with oil theft which has seen it unable to meet its daily OPEC quota of 1.77 million barrels per day of crude oil production.
Peter Obi, a frontline presidential candidate of the Labour Party, recently stated that oil theft could not happen without the connivance of prominent persons.
He said the menace had become a state enterprise considering the logistics involved in moving huge oil vessels.
NNPC locates, shuts down 395 illegal refineries associated with Forcados, hints on illegal oil pipeline
Recall that Legit.ng reported that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) is putting all its efforts into stopping the monstrous growing oil theft in Nigeria.
According to the company's Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, the firm has discovered and dismantled the operations of about 395 illegal refineries linked to the Forcados, a small town in the Niger Delta.
Kyari said the company had deactivated the illegal refineries, taken down 273 wooden boats, and ruined 374 illegal reservoirs and 1,561 metal tanks.
Source: Legit.ng
