Oil theft in Niger Delta is permitted by federal govt - King Bubaraye Dakolo

King Bubaraye Dakolo, author of the Riddle of the Oil Thief, has said that the oil theft happening in the Niger Delta is permitted by federal government.

"Oil thievery is perpetuated by institutions, groups that are well known in this country to big rich robust institutions and human beings with international collaborations. Do you think any Niger Delta youth will have access to MT Turatu?"

He said this during an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) said a private security contractor, Tantita Security Services, intercepted a suspicious vessel with a cargo of crude oil on board.

In a statement signed by NNPCL Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba Deen Muhammad, the vessel was intercepted on 7 July.

“The vessel, MT TURA II (IMO number: 6620462), owned by a Nigerian Registered Company, HOLAB MARITIME SERVICES LIMITED with Registration Number RC813311, was heading to Cameroun with the cargo on board when it was apprehended at an offshore location (Latitude: 5.8197194477543235°, Longitude: 4.789002723991871°), with the captain and crew members on board,” it said.

Speaking on the burning of the vessel after it was apprehended, Dakolo said that the move was unacceptable and could poison the residents of the Niger Delta.

In his submission, he said;

"Few days ago, a vessel MT Turatu with a 150,000 metric tonnes i.e 1.6 million barrels which amounts to $100 million. That is the value of what was inside the vessel and that is approximately what Nigeria produces in a day, which is 1.8 million barrels. It takes a while to load the whole of that volume and definitely it must have been loaded somewhere that is authorised loading bay and so the authorities of NNPC were supposed to know and I think they know. Usually in those places, there are law enforcements at the terminals so all of these agencies knew that this was taking place.

"Setting that vessel ablaze was completely out of 2023... and then you burn off billions of Naira and multi millions of crude and in the process poison us. It is completely unacceptable. It is something that has to stop. The federal government, the presidency have to issue a quick order that they should stop burning and wasting our resources in that manner."

"The real thief of oil is someone who have a yacht, a golf course, is someone who cannot sleep a night in Niger Delta because of mosquitoes and insecurities, someone who have properties in London, Banana Island, Abuja, Frankfurt, New York City. Those are the thieves."

"The authorities know clearly who and who are behind it...so everyone that is in authority knows them."

Hear this about the Oil theft in Niger Delta pic.twitter.com/SkOrJwT5JC

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