Oil theft: 3 Indians bag 15 years in jail

Oil theft: 3 Indians bag 15 years in jail

 A Federal High Court sitting in Yenegoa, Balyesa on Wednesday convicted three Indians for oil theft brought before it by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Indian nationals, Mr Sailesh Kumar Singh, Captain of the vessel MT Akshay,Mr Chadrashekar Sharma and  Ajay Bhatiya, owner of the vessel, were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for their involvement in oil theft.

The convicts were among twelve suspected oil thieves arrested aboard MT Akshay by men of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta.

 They were reportedly convicts were arrested in November, 2012 and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.

They were arraigned on a 2-count charge on January 22, 2013 before Justice Lambo Akanbi.

According to the EFCC, the court found the first and the two accused persons alongside the owner of the vessel who is still at large guilty and convicted them.

 

The other accused persons Dharmaraj Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Nimesh Kodi Parambil, Ashraf Ali, Sanjeev Kumar, Sarbjot Singh, Arvind Kumar Bhardwaj, Gagan Kumar, Dele Johnson Olayemi and Benneth Egbegi were discharged and acquitted on the two counts preferred against them by the EFCC.

However, the court was silent on the vessel, and it’s content.

The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta was reorganized to ensure prompt prosecution of oil theft suspects  

Oil Theft: JTF seizes vessel, arrests crewmen in Bayelsa waterways

 Oil Theft: JTF seizes vessel, arrests crewmen in Bayelsa waterways

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, on Thursday announced the seizure of a vessel laden with 1,000 litres of suspected stolen crude.

According to a statement signed by Lt.-Col Mustapha Anka, Media Coordinator of the JTF in Yenagoa, the crew members of the vessel are being interrogated.

The 25,000 tonne capacity vessel, named MV FLORA, and eight crewmen were intercepted by JTF’s Gun Boat Company along Lagosgbene Obi creek in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

The media coordinator said that the new Commander of JTF, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atawe, who assumed duties on March 8, has intensified the war against oil theft.

``Since Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atawe took over of Command of the Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD on 8 March 2014, 7 vessels and barges have been intercepted and arrested for illegal oil bunkering activities.

``Also, 85 illegal distillery camps were brought to total extinction while 196 suspects were also arrested, and presently at various stages of prosecution by the prosecuting agencies," Anka stated.

He said also that, a patrol team of the JTF had destroyed four wooden boats filled with stolen crude oil along Bodo Creek in Rivers.

``A suspect was arrested while attempting to load crude oil into a Cotonuo boat from a Shell pipeline.

``The suspect was handed over to the JTF for a preliminary investigation before being handed over for prosecution.''

``In a similar operation, the Maritime Component of the JTF Nigeria Navy Ship also intercepted and destroyed four wooden boats, one welding machine, 3,000 drums and 15 pits filled with suspected stolen crude within the Niger Delta region,'' he added. 

Ijaw Youths applaud FG on $1bln fund to fight oil theft urges govt to adopt amnesty template

 Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has expressed support to plans by the federal government to step up the fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.

Reacting to the announcement by President Goodluck Jonathan that federal government has earmarked the sum of $1 bln  to fight oil theft and vandalism of oil infrastructure, the IYC noted that the group welcomes the idea.

President Jonathan announced the setting up of a technical committee on oil theft at the World Nuclear Summit in Netherlands on March 22.

Mr Eric Omare, Spokesman of IYC in a statement released in Yenagoa on Sunday urged the federal government to adopt the template used in the amnesty programme for the scheme to succeed.

According to Omare, the exclusion of the members of the oil communities in the fight against oil theft  has been responsible for the limited success recorded so far.

“The Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide welcomes the idea of the Federal Government  taking drastic and holistic approach to address the problem of oil theft in Nigeria considering the massive ecological damage that oil theft and vandalism of oil facilities has caused to the Niger Delta environment.

“However, the IYC, Worldwide wish to state that no programme to fight oil theft and oil infrastructures vandalism would be effective without the involvement of the people of the oil producing communities and other critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region in the formulation and implementation of the programme,” the IYC stated.

Omare explained that the  amnesty programme for ex- agitators in the Niger Delta succeeded because of the involvement of key stakeholders such as the youth leaders, state governments in the conception and implementation.

“Therefore, we call on President Jonathan to organise a Presidential Summit on oil theft which would involve the people of the oil producing communities and other critical stakeholders as the knowledge of the local people would be of immense benefit in finding solution to the menace of oil theft.

“ The solution to oil theft cannot be found by office based technocrats. The solution lies with the people of the oil producing communities of the Niger Delta Region.

“The knowledge of those who know the operations of the syndicates involved in the act of oil theft is crucial in coming up with the appropriate policy.

“The IYC further calls on the Technical Committee to organise public hearings to seek the views of members of the public especially the oil producing communities on how best to tackle the problem of oil theft and oil facilities vandalism,” it stated