…as Navy defends vessel intercepted by Tompolo

•Tantita operatives track down MT PRAISEL with 8,100 barrels
•Navy officials defy interception by TSSNL; NSA, CNS allow examination.
•NNPCL, NMDPRA, TSSNL, and others collect samples for laboratory test
•Vessel, product in custody at Forward Operating Base, Escravos, Delta
•HRM Whiskey, stakeholders praise Tompolo; demand a full-scale investigation

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South & Akpokona Omafuaire

A fresh controversy has broken out in the Niger Delta over the interception of a vessel, Motor Tanker, MT PRAISEL, bearing a Togolese flag, suspected to have engaged in oil bunkering, Wednesday, August 2, by the operatives of a private security contractor, Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, in Delta State.

Concerned stakeholders, doubtful of the circumstances of the entanglement of Nigerian Navy officials in the vessel’s movement, weekend, called on the Federal Government to carry out a painstaking investigation and uncover the truth.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, had, last year, engaged the TSSNL owned by an ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, to monitor oil pipelines in Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, and other oil-producing states.

TSSNL, which had successfully exposed many illegal oil pipelines and thieving vessels in the oil-rich region since its engagement, in a similar operation, last month, intercepted a vessel, MT TURA II, owned by an undisclosed oil cabal with 800,000 liters of stolen crude oil,on July 7, in Ondo state.

The truth, however, is that MT Tura II, set ablaze by security operatives, last month, in Delta state, was no other but MT ALLI-RIZA BEY, apprehended by the Navy in August 2013, and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, only for it to escape from the custody of the anti-graft agency.

It was not until TSSNL operatives arrested the vessel 10 years after in Ondo state that the identity of the vessel and its escape from custody became manifest, but the oil cabal that deployed it to steal the nation’s crude oil for over a decade remained unknown.

On August 2 when TSSNL operatives, who had intelligence on the ocean-going vessel, spotted MT PRAISEL, which has a 1,117-ton capacity, with 8,100 barrels of suspected crude oil, they had their reservation about its mission, as a Navy gunboat escorted the vessel.

Navy officials stoutly resisted the attempt by the TSSNL to get security agents attached to the OPERATION DELTA SAFE to board the vessel to find out what it was carrying.

The resistance escalated the suspicion, as a top Navy official threatened to deal with the Tantita operatives, who refused to back down.

Sources said the unwavering Tantita operatives contacted their superiors, who got across to the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, and Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla on the development.

According to information, the NSA and CNS granted the TSSNL an approval to examine the vessel, after which the Nigerian Navy directed the vessel to proceed to the Forward Operating Base in Escravos, Warri South West Local Government Area for further investigation of the product onboard.

Five government agencies, including the NNPCL, NMDPRA, and TSSNL, collected samples of the product in the vessel on Thursday for laboratory testing and verification of the claim.

Suspicion fallacious —Vice Admiral Ogalla, CNS

Vice Admiral Ogalla, who addressed reporters at his maiden familiarization tour of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, dismissed the insinuation that his men were involved in the latest MT PRAISEL indignity, saying the Nigeria Navy, under his watch, would deal decisively with personnel found to be involved in oil theft.

He said, “We are aware of allegations of involvement of our officers in crude oil theft, which are quite baseless. Whenever we receive such information, we quickly launch an investigation. However, so far, our findings have shown that most of the allegations are not true.

“However, if there is an element of truth in the allegations, we hold the alleged personnel responsible as well as apply the law according to the Arm Forces Act. The punishment ranges from imprisonment and dismissal. We have had cases in the past and took appropriate actions.

“However, over 97 percent of these allegations are based on social media, and they have no proper background. We are in the age of social media where anybody without proof or having full details will just put something up there (on social media platforms).

“But if you go through most of those allegations and investigate them, you find out that the basis of those allegations is unfounded,” he added.

The CNS narrated an instance where an individual saw a vessel on the waterways and with no prior evidence announced on social media that the vessel was involved in oil theft. So, the person put the information on social media, alleging that they saw onboard some military men onboard the vessel engaging in illegal bunkering–without having the correct information.

“Despite this, we are going to improve surveillance capability because we want to strike the criminals even before they carry out the act. We do not want to be on the defending side but take the war to the criminals and get them (arrested) even before they start the act,” he said. Ogalla said the Navy had expanded its coverage of the maritime domain awareness capability (or Falcon Eye) to the creeks and coastal areas to achieve better results in its operations.

According to him, combining proper intelligence and technology would enable the navy to achieve the desired objectives. Ogalla also inspected facilities at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School, Onne, Navy Training College, Onne, Naval Medical Centre, Borokiri, Nigerian Navy Hydrographic School, and the Naval Shipyard Limited, both in Port Harcourt.

NMDPRA cleared MT PRAISEL to load HPFO —Commodore Ayo-Vaughan

Also, the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, in a statement, yesterday, said that “MT PRAISEL was duly approved by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)” to load 1,114,721 liters of High Pour Fuel Oil (HPFO) from Greenmac Energy Storage/Tarus Jetty Koko from July 26 to August 8, 2023.

The statement read, “Nigerian Midstream duly approved MT PRAISEL and Dowstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to load 1,114,721 liters of High Pour Fuel Oil (HPFO) from Greenmac Energy Storage/Tarus Jetty Koko from 26 July-8 August 2023.

“In line with Standard Operating Procedure, SOP and to ensure strict compliance with the NMDPRA approval, NN personnel were deployed onboard to monitor the discharge of the product by MT PRAISEL at a facility at Bonny.

“The attention of the Naval Headquarters has been drawn to publications and news reports in the media on the
arrest of Motor Tanker (MT) PRAISEL by a private security outfit, Tantita Security Service Limited (TSSL) for suspected illegal oil Bunkering. The publication further alleged that the vessel was escorted by a Nigerian Navy (NN) boat and it averred that TSSL’s operation had the backing of the National Security Adviser and Chief of the Naval Staff.

“To put the record straight and avoid the misrepresentation of facts to unsuspecting members of the public as portrayed, MT PRAISEL was duly approved by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to load 1,114,721 Litres of Hig Pour Fuel Oil (HPFO) from Greenmac Energy Storage/Tarus Jetty Koko from 26 July – 8 August 2023.

“This has been substantiated by NMDPRA. In line with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and to ensure strict compliance with the NMDPRA approval, NN personnel were deployed onboard to monitor the discharge of the product by MT PRAISEL at a facility at Bonny.”

According to the Navy, on August 2, 2023, TSSL claimed to act on intelligence and alleged that the vessel was carrying stolen crude oil. The security outfit then approached an element of Operation DELTA SAFE to board the vessel in order to verify the allegedly stolen product.

It added, “Accordingly, the Nigerian Navy directed the vessel to the Forward Operating Base ESCRAVOS anchorage for further investigation of the product onboard. The samples of the product onboard MT PRAISEL were collected on Thursday 3 August 2023 by five agencies, including NNPCL, NMDPRA and TSSL in line with laid procedures for laboratory test and verification of the claim.

“The NN, therefore, appeals to the public to await the laboratory test result of the product and in-depth investigations on the allegation.”

We laud Tompolo for his boldness —HRM Whiskey, Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom

However, few stakeholders bought the explanation of the Navy arguing that it was trying to cover up what really transpired and urged the NSA to unravel the truth.

The Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom in Delta State, HRM Monday Obukohowo Whiskey, Udurhie I, told Saturday Vanguard, “I think every Nigerian should commend High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, for his boldness, courage, patriotism, steadfastness for standing to defend the national economy against all expectations.

“What Tompolo is doing today is taking the highest risk any human on planet earth can take against an organized cabal. A cartel has put themselves into a group, they have made so much money, but one individual being propelled by patriotism is calling them to order. We do not expect that every security would support Tompolo, we do not expect that they should be happy, but every Nigerian should know that the economic life wire of this nation is what Tompolo is sustaining.

“That is what Tompolo is protecting and God and the gods of this land will protect Tompolo and the Tantita security officials. I have been following up on the episode, we are aware of what is happening in the river, and for an individual to have that boldness, such boldness can only come from patriotism.

“If you are not patriotic, you cannot have such boldness. Therefore, the National Security Adviser should get to the root of the matter, let’s for once call a spade a spade.

Call oil thieves to order

“The security people involved in bunkering should not just be called to order, they should prosecute them. Let them pay dearly. Since the project of Tantita started, our rivers are beginning clean again; the aquatic life is coming back. The people of this region are solidly behind Tompolo, the traditional institution is solidly behind Tompolo, and the government should also be solidly behind him, and properly fund him.

“In fact, they should expand this project to cover more areas because where Tompolo is covering today is where we are seeing these major arrests. What is happening in the other areas? The oils are everywhere in Niger Delta, expand his scope to cover more areas, and you will see more dirty exposure that will come up. That is my candid opinion, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should wake up; the happenings in the Niger Delta, the stealing of oil is an organized crime against the economic survival of this country. They should commend Tompolo and not victimize him,” the vocal monarch added.

The probe should not go beyond one week – Prof Awhefeada

Another Niger Delta stakeholder and academic, Prof Sunny Awhefeada, asserted, “Let investigations begin immediately, it should not exceed one week. The operators of that vessel should show the papers allowing the movement of that crew. The papers will show those who allowed the movement of that vessel, the firm, the destination, and those in charge should know the details they are looking for. “There should be an independent investigation and the duration should not exceed one week so that the Navy could not tamper with the documents.

There is no doubt the military personnel are oil thieves themselves. Without the connivance of the military, oil theft cannot take place. It is a fact and they are making the work cumbersome.”