Oil thieves mount CCTV on trees—NNPCL

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has revealed that in order to elude security personnel, crude oil thieves have turned to a novel strategy of mounting closed-circuit television cameras on trees.

The business also disclosed that, during the course of the previous week, 149 incidences of oil theft in the Niger Delta region had been recorded.

This information was provided by the corporation in a statement released on Tuesday night in Abuja.

A spot for oil bunkering was discovered in Osuobodo, Imo state, south of the Oguta naval installation, between two ANTAN flow stations, according to the statement. These crooks have elevated their behaviour well beyond the norm.

The robbers in this camp mounted CCTV cameras on trees to keep an eye out for security personnel. The oil thieves also placed defensive systems and mortar launchers in various places to take out any potential adversaries.

This finding was made after a military invasion based on data obtained from an air surveillance conducted out in August by Target Energy, Tantita Security Services, Operation Delta Safe, and the Military.

According to the report, the lack of electricity was no excuse for the thieves’ determination to live there and trade their stolen petroleum, and backup generators were prepared to keep the camp’s operations running smoothly.

“Drums of crude oil feeding from an illegal connection, bags used for storing crude, and more were discovered on the camp,” the company reported.

49 illicit connections were discovered between October 14 and October 20, 2023, according to the business, in Udu and Ogharefe in Delta State, Ohaji Egbema in Imo, Brass in Bayelsa, and Rivers State.

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Oil thieves built a tunnel beneath the paved road at this location in Rivers state to insert their unauthorised connection. The goal is to work covertly. An professional used a horizontal directional drilling equipment to plan and complete this.

“16 instances of pipeline vandalism were reported this week in the Delta State towns of Obodo Omadina and Ogidigbein, where a well head was vandalised, and Azuzu in Bayelsa State. A damaged pipeline is being repaired in Ozuaku, Abia State.

“In the previous week, 10 storage sites for stolen petroleum were found in various parts of the Niger Delta. An intriguing finding was uncovered in Ekpemu, Delta State, said NNPCL.

More storage facilities, according to the report, have been found at Yenagoa in Bayelsa State, Tomble and Emuoha in Rivers State, Ogborode, Ugborodo, and Kwale in Delta State.

According to the company, cars transporting bags of crude oil were stopped and their contents seized in the Delta State towns of Ozoro, Umuosonwu, and Patani.

Between October 14 and October 20, 2023, five vehicle arrests were made, according to the report. This week in Rivers, Delta, and Imo states, 18 wooden boats carrying stolen petroleum were also detained.

Nine of these incidents—23 in the western region, 67 in the central region, and 50 in the eastern part of Nigeria—took place in the deep blue sea.

NNPC Limited declared that it will not relent in its fight against crude oil theft until the problem was completely eliminated.