•A destroyed vessel
A director at Tantita Security Services, Warredi Enisuoh, has given some insights on why security operatives destroy most vessels that are caught stealing Nigeria’s crude oil.
Enisuoh said today that several factors contribute to the decision to destroy the vessels, reports Channels TV.
“Nobody is going to be very happy about the destruction of evidence, however, one of the problems we always find is that ships are not small assets. The moment they are apprehended, the first thing the owners try to do is to leave the country.
“So, you are now left with the evidence, you don’t have anybody to hold. The evidence contain oil, the oil will not stay within that metal for long because it is sitting in one place and it keeps polluting the environment, it’s a very big problem.
“This is coupled with the fact that investigations and the legal process will take quite a while and as you know, oil won’t just sit there forever and guarding it is expensive,” Enisuoh said.
Tantita, a private security company contracted by the federal government to protect critical oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta area, is owned by former Niger Delta agitator, Government Ekpemupolo.
The company has made several high-profile arrests of crude oil thieves in the Niger Delta area in the last few months.
Most of the times when these vessels conveying stolen crude oil are arrested, they are set on fire by the security operatives, which many have condemned as destruction of evidence which could have been used to prosecute the perpetrators.
The Tantita director, however, said that the level of destruction of apprehended vessels has been reduced and that the legal approach is now more embraced.
“The court approach is now being taken and it is yielding results, so let’s see how it goes,” he stated.
Enisuoh also said that the policy of keeping such evidence needs to be reviewed so that the organisation keeping the evidence won’t be overwhelmed.
Crude oil theft has remained one of the major problems slowing down the economy of the country as it reduces the country’s oil supply, cutting down its major source of revenue.
The federal government has made a few efforts to stem this menace, by setting up committees on crude oil theft and management but the menace continues to haemorrhage the nation’s resources.
