The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has said that the masterminds behind crude oil theft in Nigeria often remain hidden from security agencies, while those arrested at illegal refining sites are usually low-level operatives with little knowledge of the larger criminal network.
Speaking on the challenges of combating oil theft and illegal refining activities on Friday on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, the Naval Chief noted that many of those apprehended during operations are merely workers paid small sums
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According to him, the complex structure of oil theft syndicates makes it difficult to identify and prosecute the individuals who orchestrate the criminal enterprise.
“Most of the faces behind these thefts are not really known or are not the ones we always catch. The ones we get at most of the illegal refinery sites are just being given some paltry sum, while the big masquerades are the ones that make the real money,” he said.
Vice Admiral Abass explained that prosecuting suspects is often complicated by the fact that many of those arrested have little or no information about the people directing the operations.
“In trying to prosecute some of these people that we get, some of them don’t even know who they are working for. So, the network is a very delicate one,” he added.
Despite the challenges, the Naval Chief said the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies are continually refining their strategies to counter the evolving tactics of oil thieves.
“As they are evolving strategies, we are also evolving new strategies. Like I keep saying, technology is the way forward. With that, we have been able to reduce the level of theft,” he stated.
He stated that the adoption of technology-driven surveillance, intelligence gathering and monitoring systems has significantly enhanced efforts to curb crude oil theft and protect critical national assets.
Crude oil theft continues to pose a major challenge to Nigeria’s petroleum industry, resulting in significant revenue losses and environmental degradation in oil-producing communities across the Niger Delta.
The Naval Chief reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to sustaining operations against oil theft, stressing that collaboration among security agencies, stakeholders and host communities remains essential to safeguarding the nation’s oil resources.
Nigeria’s Coastal Waters Relatively Safe
Vice Admiral Idi Abbas stated that Nigeria’s coastal and riverine communities are relatively safe.
Abbas said the Nigerian Navy has made significant progress in reducing threats along the coast, particularly illegal oil-related activities and sea robbery.
“As it stands today, I can say that our coastal areas and the riverine areas are relatively safe,” the Naval Chief stated.
According to him, while crude oil theft and isolated cases of sea robbery remain areas of concern, the Navy has been largely successful in containing such activities through intensified surveillance and enforcement operations.
“What we are contending with mostly there is the issue of crude oil theft and some pockets of sea robbery, which we are able to curtail,” he said.
Special Court To Prosecute Maritime Criminals
The Chief of the Naval Staff also called for the establishment of a special court dedicated to prosecuting maritime crimes.
He said the proposed court would focus exclusively on cases involving crude oil theft and other maritime-related offences, helping to address delays associated with the conventional judicial process.
“What we are pushing for is that we should have a special court that will try these maritime criminals,” the naval chief said on Friday on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
According to him, the establishment of such a court would significantly accelerate the dispensation of justice and reduce the burden currently placed on the Navy in maintaining seized vessels and other exhibits pending the conclusion of lengthy court processes.
“If we have that in place, I believe the dispensation of justice will be done much faster and then ease the burden of keeping and maintaining some of the arrested vessels, which will be taken off from us because we spend a lot to maintain those vessels under our custody,” he stated.
Vice Admiral Abbas noted that the Navy incurs substantial operational costs in securing and maintaining vessels arrested for involvement in crude oil theft and other maritime offences while awaiting prosecution and judgment.
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