Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, said some Naval personnel are collaborating with crude oil thieves.
Gambo made the claim on Wednesday, December 21, while decorating 30 newly promoted Rear Admirals.
According to him, some officers collaborate with criminal elements to sabotage the efforts of the Nigerian Navy at curbing illegal bunkering and crude oil theft in the country. He, therefore, urged the newly decorated officers to rededicate themselves to protecting Nigeria’s maritime environment.
Fight against oil theft: Vice Admiral Gambo said the Navy had recorded some achievements in the fight against crude oil theft. He also warned that any personnel caught sabotaging the measures that have been put in place by the navy will meet a stiff penalty and the wrath of the law. He said:
- “There are pockets of personnel still colluding with criminals to sabotage these efforts. Let me, therefore, warn that any act of collision with criminals to sabotage measures emplaced to check illegality will be made to face sanctions in accordance with the laws of the land.
- “Note that as leaders of the service, you are expected to be above board, and ensure that subordinates equally buy into the zero-tolerance stance of the Nigerian Navy against all forms of illegalities and criminalities at sea and ashore.”
Data on crude oil theft: In July 2021, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) released a report revealing that Nigeria lost 42.25 million barrels of crude oil valued at $2.77 billion to oil theft in 2019.
- On April 7, 2022, during a session of the Upstream Petroleum Committee at the House of Representatives, Mele Kyari told committee members that Nigeria lost $4 billion to crude oil theft at the rate of 200,000 barrels per day in 2021. Kyari also pointed out that as of Q1/2022, Nigeria had already lost $1.5 billion to crude oil theft.
- During a visit to the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa in August 2022, Mele Kyari said Nigeria is losing $1.9 billion every month to crude oil theft.
In case you missed it: In early December 2022, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno, inaugurated an 11-member Special Investigative Panel on oil theft and losses in Nigeria.
