Military And Security Chiefs Have Questions To Answer
In May 2012, The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Minister of Petroleum set up a task force comprising of all service chiefs among them the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the Inspector General of Police as well as Chief Executives of International Oil Companies. The minister said the creation of the task force was to stem the tide of crude oil theft with its attendant economic and environmental losses to the nation. According to her, the task force would ensure that all those arrested for crude oil theft are properly investigated and prosecuted.
Almost one year after the high powered task force, the menace of crude oil theft has assumed alarming proportion. The Managing Director of Shell put the figure of its stolen crude via the Nembe Creek Trunk line at 800billion naira per annum, while the Federal Government estimated 180,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily or approximately 7Billion dollars yearly was lost to oil theft. Other oil majors have cause to declare force majeure due to activities of oil thieves and destruction of their flow stations. There is no single day that passes without reports of crude oil theft from the pipelines that convey crude oil or other petroleum products around the country.
Reports allege that foreign ships, from Eastern European countries, illegally berth off the sea coast of Nigeria and wait for days for the stolen crude oil from Nigeria’s oil pipelines. These foreign criminals are often armed with sophisticated weapons, including their Nigerian accomplices (often former employers of Oil companies and renegade militants). They deploy sophisticated technology that compromise the pipelines easily and siphon as much quantity as they want, under the cover of darkness and always at alert against any intruder. Once mission accomplished they sail, leaving behind vandalized pipelines with crude flowing freely.
Where is the Joint Task Force in all of this? How possible is it that a combination of SSS, Military Intelligence, Navy, Air Force and Police cannot stop the crude oil theft? How true is the alleged charge that senior military officers receive suitcases of dollars and look the other way as crude oil theft goes on? Why the incessant crude oil theft? If other ranks are aiding and abetting crude oil theft, what has the military hierarchy done to stop it? Could it be that the Commanding Officers in charge of Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta have all compromised?
Take for example, then General Sani Abacha set up Rivers State Internal Security Task Force to handle the aftermath of Ogoni crises in 1995. In 1997, in the course of duty, a young Army Captain with 1 Amphibious Battalion, Bori Camp, who was the Officer Commanding Rivers State Internal Security Task Force started investigating cases of stolen crude oil and pipeline vandalism at Ogoni, which fell within his Area of Responsibility (AOR). Preliminary findings by the captain revealed the syndicate who stole crude oil from the Shell Petroleum Flow Station were aided by Senior Military officers including his boss, a Major (currently a Major General in the army). The Captain came under pressure from his commanding officer to drop the investigation but he refused. Eventually, the Captain was arrested and detained for alleged breach of procedure; charges were never leveled against the captain and subsequently posted out of the battalion to a Military Training Institution in Zaria, which is considered as Siberia. The case of those who were stealing crude oil from Shell flow station died a natural death till today.
The above scenario represents an insight into what might be going on in the Joint Task Force, because no one from the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defense Staff, Inspector General of Police to the National Security Adviser seems to be coming up with any tenable explanation as to the reason why Nigeria’s territorial integrity is being violated continually by foreign crude oil thieves in conjunction with Nigerian partners.
There is clearly no sense of urgency in the quest to stop the crude oil theft. A report from the natives of the area where the oil theft is most rampant alleges that military personnel openly share cash on the high seas with foreign and Nigerian oil thieves. Or how can one justify a situation where foreign ships come into the Nigerian waters without any attempt from the Navy or any security service to question such brazen foray. It suggests there is collaboration at the highest levels between security personnel detailed to guard the waterways and oil pipelines. The military chain of command and other security top brass cannot claim ignorance of the brazen act of crude oil theft.
Nigeria will continue to lose revenue in billions of dollars in crude oil theft if President Jonathan cannot develop the political will to investigate the JTF and all the Commanders and bring all them to justice if found to have been involved in this national economic sabotage. The Federal Government need to compare notes with other OPEC countries on how to properly secure the oil pipelines and ensure such heist is stopped.
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