Oil theft: Highly placed Nigerians under watch - N Oil theft: Highly placed Nigerians under watch - NIMASA DG
- Written by Olawale Rasheed And Taiwo Adisa-Abuja
- Monday, 20 May 2013 02:27
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Ziakede Akpobolokemi, said at the weekend that the agency had arrested a number of vessels used for oil theft and bunkering which, he said, had been traced to some influential Nigerians.
Akpobolokemi, who stated this in a media interaction in Abuja, said that the organisation would soon reveal the identities of the affected Nigerians once investigations are completed.
According to him, NIMASA would not cover up any of the cases, adding, however, that Nigerians should be wary of any attempt to paint the issue in ethnic colourations by the suspects once they are named.
He said: “Nigerians should be ready to tell them to leave the issue of ethnicity aside.
The NIMASA boss further alerted that while some influential Nigerians were under close watch concerning crude theft, others are already in the net for sponsoring and financing piracy, oil theft and bunkering.
“Those small boys are agents for some top Nigerians. We are on their trail. No matter how highly placed you are, if you break the maritime law, if you sponsor oil theft, we will go after you,” Akpobolokemi said.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (US) have indicated interest to assist Nigeria curb the menace of crude oil theft which President Goodluck Jonathan has described as “blood oil”.
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, made the announcement at a lecture entitled, ‘The Future of African Energy in a Changing World,’ delivered on Sunday at St. Anthony’s College in Oxford University, England.
“I must say that both the British and U.S. governments have been in discussions with us and are keen to join hands with us to fight this menace.
“The global community is on track and already geared up and we are working to put in place a strategic platform that will involve us all and enable us to track and fingerprint stolen crude,” Alison-Madueke said.
https://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/news/item/12340-oil-theft-highly-placed-nigerians-under-watch-nimasa-dg