The Flag Officer Commanding of the Western Naval Command, Apapa, Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ilesanmi Alade, has said the Federal Government loses huge revenue as a result of illegal oil bunkering in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
Alade said not only have these illegal activities led to significant loss in revenue accruable to the Federal Government, it has also resulted in damage to various strategic installations in the country.
According to him, it requires substantial amount of money to repair the “damages to strategic installations, which require colossal amount of money to repair”.
The Naval Chief said also that “pipeline vandalism particularly has led to pollution of the maritime environment and which according to him had led to serious fire disasters resulting in loss of several lives and properties.”
He said that communities like Majidun, Arepo, Ogolonto and Makoko in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State are known for illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
In carrying out their operations, he said the perpetrators use self propelled barges, wooden boats and flat bottom boats to ferry the petroleum products to their various destinations, adding that they are usually armed to attack anyone that attempts to intercept their operation.
According to Alade, the operation was initiated by the Nigerian Navy and supported by the Nigerian Army, which had recorded successes as some arrests have been made but could not give any figure because the suspects were undergoing interrogation.
He said until the conclusion of interrogation, the number of suspects involved in the illegal oil bunkering could not be released.
The operation, which the FOC codenamed Operation Scatter, or as put in Hausa: Awatse, led to the seizure of over 2,000 jerry cans of 50 litres each of refined petroleum products.
This translates to 100,000 litres of refined petroleum products.
They have been handed over to the Area Manager of Mosemi Depot of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Eluyefa Remi, by the NNS Beecroft’s Commodore Daniel Ikoli.