Percy Onyeka
No fewer than 157 incidents of crude oil theft were recorded in the Niger Delta between December 30, 2023 and January 5, 2024.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited said the cases were recorded from several incidence sources like Nigeria Agip Oil, 62; Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, 29; Maton Engineering Limited, 18; Tantita Security Services Limited, 8; NNPCL Command and Control Centre, 2; Shell Petroleum Development Company, 4; and government security agencies, 34.
According to a 3:23-minute video posted on its X handle on Tuesday, the NNPCL disclosed that 52 illegal refineries were discovered in Abia, Imo, Rivers, and Bayelsa States, where the illegal refineries were destroyed.
It was stated that “32 illegal connections were uncovered in several parts of the Niger Delta,” including Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States.
News Agency learnt that illegal connections were also removed along the central corridor in the Niger Delta, while seven illegal storage sites were uncovered in Akwa Ibom.
Similarly, the NNPCL revealed through the video that buried drums of crude oil were unearthed and some were discovered in bushes.
In Oporoma, Bayelsa State and Oleh in Warri, sacks of stolen crude oil were reportedly discovered and confiscated.
Also in Delta State, drums filled with stolen crude oil were found in the river, while oil well heads were vandalised in Rivers State.
In the past week, 25 cases of pipeline vandalism were recorded across several communities.
“12 vehicles conveying stolen crude were arrested in the past week across several locations in Rivers and Delta States, while 24 wooden boats conveying stolen crude were arrested and confiscated.
“Nine of these incidences took place in the deep blue water, 45 in the Eastern region, 95 in the Central region, while eight took place in the Western region,” it was disclosed.
In the period under review, NNPCL said “17 suspects were arrested” in connection with the incident.
“For NNPCL, there is no backing down against crude oil theft except the menace is eradicated for good,” the company said.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Federal Government revealed that more than N4.3tn worth of crude oil was stolen in 7,143 pipeline vandalism cases within five years.
