Oil Theft: We traced illegal pipes to mosques, churches, palaces, says NNPCL
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Saturday expressed concern about the large scale of oil bunkering in the country, stating that it has traced illegal pipes to sacred institutions, including mosques, churches, and traditional palaces.
The agency also said increasing crude oil production from the current 1.7 million barrels per day to three million barrels is achievable.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, revealed this during a Stakeholders Engagement Session with the National Assembly Press Corp in Abuja.
He noted that there are many challenges in the oil sector that must be addressed if the nation’s economy is to survive.
While recalling how a vessel arrested for oil theft was rearrested after three months, Soneye said the low prosecution rate of criminals undermines efforts to combat the crime.
His words: “I want everyone who is listening, there is a problem. If we do not take care of these issues, there is a problem.
“In November last year, we went to look at a vessel that was caught with crewmen. The chief of army staff was there, the military, air force, and the police. It was a very large vessel with about 23 crewmen on board.
“They were arrested and handed over to the military. But it interests you that sometime this year, around February, the same vessel was caught in another place.
“Now you ask, what is the prosecution rate of those stealing the oil? It is less than two percent. So you can see the result when you see over 2,500 folks being arrested, but then the prosecution rate is two percent.
“It’s a very difficult challenge for NNPC. Somebody was asking the question, why do we engage private security firms? It’s a very good question. The person asked if the military or law enforcement are not doing their job. No, they are doing their job. I can’t stand there and say they are not doing their job. But I will just say this.
According to Soneye, there is no country in the world where non-state actors are the ones taking care of national assets, saying there was a time when the production level went below 900,000 barrels a day.
He added, “At that point, the NNPC knew we were in trouble. And then we sought help by discussing with the community leaders and private security. And with the help of the private security, production went up to about 1.5 million barrels.
“Now the president formed a committee with the military. And working together with the private security companies, now we are between 1.6 and 1.7 million barrels.
“Have the private security really helped us? Yes, they have. Are the military doing their best? Yes, they are.
“But the important thing that we should take away from here still goes down to what Mr. Durotoye was saying about us being exemplary in what we do. If you take a trip to those places, you will see at times that some of these pipes are inserted; if you trace them, some of them go into churches, some into mosques, and some into the palaces of kings.”
Deputy manager, Command and Control Centre of the NNPC, Murtala Muhammad, has disclosed that more than 8,000 illegal refineries have been destroyed within the last six months in the country.
He said 5,800 illegal oil pipeline connections were detected and destroyed within the same period.
Muhammad said oil theft and vandalization of oil pipelines remain a threat to crude production in the country, listing Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, and Abia among others as the hot spots.
