Stakeholders and security experts have asked the Federal Government not to take the allegations of crude oil theft leveled against the Nigerian Navy by the Chairman, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, with levity, saying doing such poses more danger to the nation’s ailing economy.
They argued that if the Federal Government turns blind eyes to the revelations against security agencies sabotaging the nation’s economy through thieving of oil, it would be impossible for Nigeria to overcome oil theft and stop borrowing to fund budgets, pay salaries and execute projects.
Tompolo, the owner of one of the private security firms engaged by the Federal Government to secure oil assets, accused the Nigerian Navy of frustrating the war against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Tompolo said the Navy was aiding and abetting crude oil theft and other sharp practices associated with petroleum products in the oil-rich region.
He accused the navy of collaborating and encouraging illegal oil barons to sabotage the country’s economy.
He lamented that the navy was working at cross purposes with other state actors and private security outfits saddled with surveillance over the country’s economic assets in the region.
“The statement cannot be swept under the carpet because Tompolo is a participant there and he saw it all before he could come out with that kind of statement and that kind of statement goes a long way to suggest that the man is right now more loyal to the Federal Government that engaged him than any other undue influence”
In their separate reactions to these serious allegations, some security experts told The Point that Nigeria’s hope of increasing oil production to about 2 million barrels per day by December may not be met if the cartel involved in the oil theft is not apprehended and prosecuted.
A security expert, Akin Adeyi, lamented the grave implications the allegations have on Nigeria’s economy, asserting that the Federal Government has continued to go cap in hand begging for funds to put infrastructures in place where there are assets that can continue to generate earnings for the country.
He said Tompolo’s revelation has given the Federal Government value for its investment in him, “even though he is telling us what we know, but that the statement came from him means a lot because he is one of the actors” in the Niger Delta.
“So, the statement cannot be swept under the carpet because Tompolo is a participant there and he saw it all before he could come out with that kind of statement and that kind of statement goes a long way to suggest that the man is right now more loyal to the Federal Government that engaged him than any other undue influence,” he said.
Adeyi stated that if the Federal Government fails to take proper actions on the allegations, Tompolo might be discouraged in his patriotism act and may be coerced into joining the oil theft cabal.
He said, “If ours were to be a sane society, the powers that be right now should have taken the statement into the laboratory for thorough examination and with the aim of providing solutions to the problem. That is not the first time the man is saying the thing. What will follow is fear of politics now, how to get the man from the assignment he was given, they will tackle him from behind. I know he must have prepared himself for that before making the allegation.”
Describing the allegations against the Nigerian Navy as a huge indictment, the former Director of Department of State Services, posited that, “This allegation is a huge indictment on the part of the people that we are supposed to rely on for territorial integrity and protection. That somebody, a private security company has come out to allege them, is more or less saying that those that you rely on for your protection and safety of your common wealth are thieves.”
He demanded the resignation of the Navy leadership, saying, “If it were to be a saner society, it is enough for the big guns to resign their appointments. Those that are supposed to invite the man now for further talk on what he said, they will not do that and if they do it, they will even frustrate the report; they might not let this thing get to the right authority that will make the decision.
“So, all these things are militating against us and the oil theft is crumbling our economy the most. Government is making efforts to increase the barrels of crude oil that are being produced daily but here we have saboteurs who should be protecting our assets, stealing our collective patrimony. Government should invite Tompolo to tell us how they are perpetrating this crime. He should be invited so that the government can expose all these oil theft syndicates.
“They are cabals, don’t think it is only those ones that are into oil theft, there are some that are in the presidency and offices. Some are not stealing oil but they are making money from the stealing, some, for keeping quiet, they are making money, some from convincing us that this is the barrels that they have realised, they are making money.
“If he (Tompolo) gets frustrated, there is a likelihood of joining them because there is a saying that if you cannot beat them, you join them,” Adeyi posited.
For a former Commander of the South West Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps, Amitolu Shittu, porosity in the nation’s security architecture is being used as an advantage to milk out Nigeria’s commonwealth.
He assured that the Nigerian government would act accordingly in the light of the recent accusations, noting, “This government is not interested in mortgaging the future and lives of ordinary citizens of Nigeria. Oil theft was so pronounced from the Yar adua government to Goodluck Jonathan and spread to the Buhari government. So, it cannot be a tea and bread party any longer. So, the government who chose Tompolo knew that he was too big for them to bribe.
“Bribery and corruption is the problem. If the Federal Government should probe the death of Lagbaja (late Chief of Army Staff), they will discover that he was poisoned. The cartel and cabal operate like cultists. They knew that Lagbaja was there for business and that is why this cabal poisoned him. The government is only waiting and understudying their plans, it will soon break their backbone.
“Oil theft is thriving so that the government will not have money to take care of its citizens and execute all its projects. Their intention is to make the Nigerian masses grumble against the government and discredit the government and that government will not go to the polls and win again.
“They just want to strangulate the economy. It is a deep-seated politics in the oil and gas business. Those thwarting the effort of the government should have a rethink; it is not every government that will tow their line. Government should make life unbearable for those who steal our oil,” Shittu opined.
A current affairs analyst, Benedict Njoku, told The Point that he is not pleased that the military have not properly addressed the allegations raised by Tompolo.
According to Njoku, Tompolo did not just start to accuse the military of oil theft in the Niger Delta. He said the fact that the Chairman of Tantita security was doing so again now is damning and must not be swept under the carpet.
“Unfortunately, it seems the government is helpless to address the series of alarms Tompolo has been raising.
“And can you believe what the military said about the allegations? They said it was laughable and that we should move past it. To make matters worse, they called it cheap blackmail.
“If the military knows something that we don’t know, let them inform Nigerians about it instead of beating around the bush. This matter must not be swept under the carpet.
“For goodness sake, Tompolo did not just start to raise his voice against oil theft. He has been doing so since the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, but nothing, as far as I know, has been done.
“So, the scary fact that Tompolo has to start shouting all over again, accusing the Nigerian Navy of aiding and abetting crude oil theft, is damning. It can only happen in Nigeria.
“And mind you, because putting on khaki as a uniform does not make that person a saint. Unfortunately, Nigeria is happening to all of us and those who should intervene are pretending as if everything is alright. Who is fooling who?
“Where are those saddled with the responsibility of safeguarding the economic life of this country? Are they not hearing what Tompolo is alleging? Is it because they think that they cannot be affected by the country’s poor economy?” Njoku queried.
Njoku also said Nigeria’s oil production output would be affected and the people’s commonwealth robbed, if illegal oil barons continued their activities unchecked.
“I urge Tompolo, therefore, to start mentioning names. I am sure he knows who the bad eggs in the military are. Let him name and shame them, or else history will not be kind to him”
“They say oil production should average about 2.1 million barrels per day by 2025. And this figure is what will help us to meet our 2025 revenue target as proposed in our budget.
“But where we have an instrument of government like the Navy allegedly frustrating the war against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, it portrays us as an unserious and greedy people.
“Moreover, looking at our oil production output today, it is a shame that we are still struggling to climb past 1.8mbpd. And to be honest, if we allow the illegal oil barons to continue their activities unchecked, we will be robbed off our commonwealth.
“I urge Tompolo, therefore, to start mentioning names. I am sure he knows who the bad eggs in the military are. Let him name and shame them, or else history will not be kind to him.
“And one more thing, we have planned, I think, an oil revenue target of about $75 a barrel. The reality is that if oil barons are competing to sell oil with us, we might never be able to meet that target.
“This is why 2025 would be bleak if we don’t learn to be more proactive. The military high command should conduct a thorough investigation and there should be no sacred cow anywhere,” he stressed.
We seek cooperation, not conflict – DHQ
Reacting to the allegations on Thursday during the bi-weekly update on military operations, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, noted that both organisations share the same objectives and should collaborate rather than seek to claim credit or undermine each other.
He said, “As to the question regarding the Nigerian Navy and the CEO of Tantita, you see, I’m almost laughing because it’s laughable. But what I want to say about this situation is this: We seek cooperation, not conflict.
“That’s what we want, that’s what our people want, and that’s what Nigeria wants. We want to increase the crude oil production of our nation to help our economy. That is the mainstay of our economy. We don’t want all this back-and-forth. That’s not what we want. We are going to continue to try to work together. We are all partners.
“But all this cheap blackmail has to stop. Come on, we should move faster. We need to act in the best interest of our nation, particularly at this time when we need that revenue. We will work together with our partners.”
He also emphasised that the aim of the military’s counterinsurgency operations across the country is to locate terrorists and eliminate them wherever they are hiding.
Buba said, “The military is achieving this goal. We will bring overwhelming military force upon them in order to destroy them or force them to surrender. Indeed, we are achieving both. We are decimating them, and several of them have begun to surrender.”
However, the Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, said it has arrested three suspected oil thieves carrying 2,000 litres of PMS, 1000 cartoons of beer with the intention of smuggling to the Republic of Cameroon.
The Commanding Officer of the Base, Captain Uche Aneke announced this while handing over the suspects, seized items to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Akwa Ibom Command on Friday.
Aneke explained that the suspects were arrested on Wednesday, at about 7 pm during a stop-and-search operation while on a routine night patrol at Mbo River in Akwa Ibom State.
The Commanding Officer narrated, “Navy intercepted a wooden laden with about 1,000 cartons of different brands of beer and other goods, upon thorough search its gunboat discovered 2,000 litres drums of PMS carefully concealed under the cartons with the intention of smuggling into the Republic of Cameroon.”
He warned individuals or groups involved in smuggling or any form of criminal activity within Nigeria’s waters, urging them to desist immediately.
Aneke restated the Navy’s commitment to combating maritime crimes in the state under the leadership of Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
He continued that criminal elements in FOB IBAKA area of operations under the Eastern Naval Command Area of Responsibility would continue to be detected using advanced surveillance equipment and intelligence.
“Such criminals will be apprehended and duly prosecuted. Nigeria’s waters and the Nigerian coastal areas are not for illegal activities,” Aneke said.
Receiving the items and suspects, the Assistant Superintendent Corps, Willie Sunday, said the corps would further investigate and possibly prosecute the suspects.