When the Bayelsa State government reached out to oil multinationals on their co-operation in the desperate need to check the problems of pipeline vandalisation, oil theft and the rising incidence of illegal refineries, many thought it would be one of the usual initial political comments associated with cosmetics from the federal government.
The desperate call tallied with the submission of the chairman of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, on the issue of illegal. Orunnimighe, whose council area has become hot bed for illegal bunkering activity, expressed concern over the rising cases of water pollution and death of Nine persons over the rising activity of illegal bunkering the along the waterways and creeks of the local government councils in the state.
?Orunimighe, said though past security operations of the council chairmen with the men of the Joint Military Task Force have failed to stem the criminal tide, the rising spread of the illegal operation of the bunkerers have caused poor water condition and provoked outbreak of diseases and deaths in some communities in the state.
?In the data provided by the council boss, the death were recorded in about four communities including Opuama(5),Emede (2),Ereware(1) and Egbematoro(1).They allegedly died from complications and diseases associated with the consumption of the polluted waters along the creeks and waterways of the council area.
?The ALGON Chairman in Bayelsa, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, during an interactive session in Yenagoa with journalists said the authorities of the local government councils have become burdened by the financial implication of the fight against illegal bunkering and asked the federal government to assist the on-going state government initiative to stem the worrisome rise in illegal bunkering in the State.
?He noted that the state governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has seen reasons with the worrisome presentation of his council to the state and have formed a special committee to assist in the fight against bunkering. “My council area cannot do it alone. The problem is hydra headed. The business of bunkering in the area is so large; you will see crude oil along the rivers. Local government does not have the resources. If we tackle it, we may not pay salary”, the governor stated.
?“In the last six months we have spent so much in providing logistics to the JTF and no result. A new partnership should be initiated with oil companies, the NDDC, and others to stem the tide. We have done our part and providing boreholes to 10 out of the 17 communities in the Southern Ijaw area.”
?But unlike the past campaigns by the Joint Military Task Force code named Operation Pulo Shield, against the rising cases of illegal bunkering along the waterways and creeks of the Niger Delta region, the on-going battle in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States has continued to make new discoveries and raised grave concerns over the safety of the people along the coast lines of the region.
As at the last operation of the JTF in Akassa community in Brass local government of Bayelsa State, the operatives of the Joint Military Task Force had recorded successes in the arrest of over 50 persons suspected to be involved in the illegal business in the region and seizure of over a million litres of stolen crude from vessels, tankers, surface tanks and jerry cans.
While in multiple raids on over 218 illegal refineries along the waterways and creeks of Delta and Rivers states, 18 persons were arrested; the visits to Bayelsa Communities of Akassa and Elekpa in Brass local council and Otuogori communities of Ogbia local government has produced over 31 suspects.
?In Otuogori Community, operatives of the Joint Military Task Force condoned off the community over the discovery that the community leaders and their youths were deeply involved in the storage and sales of huge volume of illegally refined crude from the waterways and creeks of the state. The condoned community is a few kilometre away from the Otuoke community, the home of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The men of the JTF, who stormed the community at about 3am, intercepted the fuel tanker with registration number XQ239LSR while loading from a surface tank positioned in the community. The tanker and the loaded illegal crude were seized and destroyed by the JTF. Also seized and destroyed were six huge capacity pumping machines and hoses used to pump illegal products from over twelve surface tanks discovered along the water front of the community. Leading newsmen on a tour of the community, the coordinator of the JTF media centre, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said though many of the suspected youths and leaders in the community involved in the illegal activity had absconded from the community, the JTF discovered that every household were used to store illegally refined products.
The JTF discovered over 300 houses used in storing huge numbers of drums filled with illegally refined crude, some of the products were bag in polythene bags and stored in various parts of the homes in the community including the home of the paramount ruler, Dogood Akpufu Ogiri XII. According to Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the discovery of the involvement of many communities in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers State had led the JTF to create a civil-military relations office to mobilise the traditional institutions against the illegal refinery and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
?At the two coastal communities of Akassa and Elekpa in Brass local government council areas of Bayelsa State, the JTF arrested 25 crew members of a vessel suspected to have been illegally lifted from the area. Out of the arrested, 17 persons were crew members of a marine vessel named MV Tamuno? Ibi? and owned by a Nigerian identified as Dagogo Eli. The vessel was arrested with illegally refined diesel of 600,000 litres of crude oil and burnt along the? Akassa ocean. It was gathered that the loading document, bearing the logo of PWS Integrated Services Ltd, found on the captain of the impounded vessel showed that he was supposed to have loaded 100,000 litre of the product from ROH II in Brass terminal, but he allegedly navigated into the creeks of Akassa, where the vessel was filled with 600,000 litres of AGO.
Also seized in the operation were two barges and one tug boat with illegal products at Elekpa Community. At Eight persons were also arrested. The suspects have been conveyed to the JTF headquarters and State Security Service(SSS) in Yenagoa, where they are being detained as preliminary investigations on their activities? continues.
?Spokesman of the JTF has disclosed the suspects were arrested by troops of 5 Battalion of the security outfit patrolling along the water ways. Nwachukwu said the Captain of the vessel, Edwin David, had tendered a Nigerian Navy permit to enable the vessel load products in Brass terminal, but the JTF has not been able to ascertain the source of that permit.
“In line with our mandate to destroy any vessel , any canoe ,any ship that is found with illegal product. Without mincing words, this is to send a very signal to all those that are engaged in illegal oil bunkering and oil refinery to desist from it because the Joint Taskforce, Operation Pulo Shield, will not spare any effort ,any individual or group of persons who is involved in this illicit activity”, the JTF spokesman added.?
In an interview with journalists, captain of the vessel Edwin David claimed that he was directed by his boss, Dagogo Eli to load illegally refined products at Akassa creeks, rather than going to the Brass terminal. David claimed that the owner of the product was Douglas of PWS Integrated Services, Port Harcourt and this was his first time of loading illegal products.
?Along the Delta and Rivers axis of the region, the JTF visited over 218 sites of illegal refineries in Oporoza village,? Escravos in Delta State and the Alakiri waterside and the adjoining creeks of Sombreiro river at Abonema, Rivers State.
Governor Dickson said quashing the illegal bunkering syndicate would be mutually beneficial to both government and the oil companies, adding that while the oil companies would have a safe and secure operating environment, the state government’s revenue accruing from oil would increase just as it would reduce the pollution and destruction of the ecology.
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