In the last few weeks, there have been allegations on both traditional and social media against the Nigerian Navy that its personnel connive with oil thieves in the oil rich Niger Delta region to steal millions of barrel of crude oil thus denying the federal government of Nigeria billions of Naira in revenue that should accrue to it.
One of those sweeping allegations was about the arrest of MT Heroic Idun, a giant maritime tanker loaded with three million barrels of crude oil allegedly stolen from Nigeria published in a column by one of Nigeria’s respected columnist Jerry Uwah in a reputable platform (Blueprint Newspapers August 20, 2022) titled: “Nigerian Navy, MV Heroic Idun and oil thieves”
By this response, I do not mean to join issues with a senior colleague whom I consider a veteran in the profession, nor speak for the Nigerian Navy but to present facts as they are.
It is either my senior colleague is ignorant of the facts of the issue or deliberately decided to twist the truth in order to mislead members of the public.
The Nigerian Navy has over the years played a critical role in securing the Nigerian maritime environment.
The Navy has through various operations like DELTA SAFE and Operation Dakatar Da Barawo continued the war against oil theft and illegal bunkering and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta to sustain a conducive environment for economic activities to thrive in the South-south region of the country.
For example, in the last two weeks alone (between August 11 and 25) findings showed its troops have recovered stolen petroleum products worth over N3.7 billion.
A breakdown of what was recovered in the period in review are one billion three hundred and thirteen million twenty thousand two hundred forty two Naira (N1,313,020,242.00) only of crude oil, two billion three hundred seventy four million six hundred and seven thousand four hundred and seventy one Naira (N2,374,607,471.00) only of AGO, four million six hundred and fifty thousand six hundred and twenty five Naira (N4,650,625.00) only of PMS and fifteen million nine hundred and eighty one thousand Naira (N15,981,000.00) only of DPK. Consequently, a grand total of three billion seven hundred and eight million two hundred and fifty nine thousand three hundred and thirty eight Naira (N3,708,259,338.00) only was denied the oil thieves.
Also, The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo, while granting an interview on national TV said that over 216 illegal refining sites were deactivated in the last five months.
He said over 41 million litres of diesel equivalent of N27bn were saved as a result of naval operations in the period under review.
“I must put on record that a review of Operation Dakatar Da Barawo in the last five months revealed over 216 illegal refining sites that were deactivated. We have over 2,920 metal storages and over 145 wooden boats that were destroyed during the period under review.
“Of course, in addition, oil thieves were by implication denied 41,308,340 litres which is equivalent to 366 or 60,241 barrels of crude oil. Regarding AGO (Automotive Gas Oil popularly known as diesel), we have 18,747,830 litres of illegal AGO.”
Given the determination of the Nigerian Navy in ensuring that the maritime environment is secured from economic saboteurs who bent stealing our common resources are denied freedom of action, they deserve some accolades rather than unwarranted criticism.
The narrative flying around on traditional and social media that Equatorial Guinea impounded MV Heroic Idun loaded with three million barrels of crude oil stolen from Nigeria is not true. It is a deliberate attempt to paint the Nigerian Navy in bad light so as to link the Navy with colluding with oil thieves and economic saboteurs in the Niger delta.
The truth is that believe it or not, no drop of Nigerian crude oil was stolen by MT Heroic Idun. The rogue vessel which veered into Nigerian waters with the intention to load oil illegally could not do so before it was accosted by Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Gongola at the Akpo Oilfield Terminal.
Also, MT Heroic Idun only spent 12 hours on the Nigerian waters and barely 20 minutes at the oilfield. So it could not have loaded three million litres of crude oil within that period as it is being alleged by mischief makers. If MT Heroic Idun pumps in 100, 000 barrels of oil per day, at that rate she would need one month to pump in the said stolen three million barrels of crude oil. So the vessel had not commenced loading at the said oil field before the Navy Ship Gongola accosted it for interrogation and ordered it to Bonny Anchorage.
Also, contrary to the fake news being peddled in some quarters, it was the Nigerian Navy that alerted Equatorial Guinea to arrest the vessel.
Just as the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo said during a recent press briefing, “The captain of the vessel duly responded to the questions and further stated that the MT Heroic Idun was without relevant clearance to operate in the field.
“Accordingly, the vessel was in line with normal procedure, ordered to turn around and follow NNS Gongola to Bonny anchorage pending when she will be cleared for loading by NNPC Ltd.
“However, the captain after contacting the master/shipping agent refused to cooperate with NNS Gongola and stated that she had been told not to take directives from the Nigerian Navy Ship,” the Naval Chief said.
He noted that the defiance to constituted authority by the captain of the vessel necessitated the Navy to invoke the collaboration of neighbouring Equatorial Guinea through the Yaounde architecture to arrest the vessel.
“I must state that the Nigerian Navy surveillance facility was used to track and constantly update the Equatorial Guinea Navy on the location of the rogue vessel,” he said.
Meanwhile, there appears to be significant miscalculation in determining how much Nigeria is losing in terms of oil theft because oil losses due to other factors are often lumped together as theft.
Unfortunately these losses are erroneously blamed on security agencies’ lack of effectiveness.
We need to understand the differences between oil theft and oil losses. While oil theft is siphoning crude oil from vandalised pipes into barges, oil losses occur when there is low production, especially during shut-ins and force majeures which deprived the federal government from earning the desired revenue it should.
Oil losses could also occur as a result of metering errors on the operating platforms.
However, in most cases, the volume of crude oil shot-ins from non-production is often added to figures for oil theft instead of declaring them as oil losses. This shouldn’t be.
Likewise, alluding to reports that between 20,000 and 200,000 barrels of crude oil are being stolen daily in Nigeria, Admiral Gambo said 100,000 barrels of crude is the equivalent of 15.8 million litres of crude oil requiring a five-ton barge to make 3,160 trips to convey to a mother vessel within a day.
“Most of these claims are definitely outrageous and unrealistic,” he maintained.
The Naval Chief insisted that even if there were enough barges to do this, it is highly unlikely given the heightened presence of security forces in the creeks and estuaries as well as the subsisting operations specifically targeted at this type of criminal activity.
It’s worthy to note the CNS, since assuming command has significantly improved the welfare of personnel and has ensured prompt payment of their allowances in order to keep them focused on the onerous task of securing the nation’s maritime environment and prevent them from falling into temptation of colluding with economic saboteurs.
