Stakeholders, activists, and environmentalists in the Niger Delta have called for an investigation of all previous and present Joint Task Force (JTF) commanders and security operatives from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to date, for their alleged role in oil theft in the oil-rich region.

The JTF is a military and police operation in Nigeria, particularly active in the Niger Delta region, charged with tackling security issues, including militancy and oil theft. The task force is a combination of the various security agencies, comprising the military, police, and the Department of State Services (DSS)

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard, the stakeholders stated that oil bunkering has persisted in the Niger Delta because security operatives were shielding the big oil thieves and arresting only their foot soldiers, who, often, escape justice because of mere technicalities. They contended that the big oil thieves steal crude oil with drums and ships at the export terminals, while the so-called oil bunkerers use cans to pilfer in the creeks. They also accused security operatives of leaking information to the oil thieves.

They spoke even as security reports indicate that oil bunkerers have introduced a startling dimension to oil theft in the Niger Delta.

A scary dimension to oil theft

Meanwhile, the Saturday Vanguard confirmed that oil bunkerers have, for months running, cunningly conscripted women and children into their illegal crude refining camps in the creeks, and use them as shields to stave off hostilities with security operatives.

“The oil bunkerers intentionally engaged the women and their children to act as a shield for them when security agents stormed their camps because they knew that they would not open fire on women and children,” a source acquainted with the strategy told one of our reporters. A government official hinted that the hierarchy of the security agency has briefed the Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, about the worrisome tendency. “The governor expressed concern about the frightening trend at a meeting with first-class traditional rulers and local government chairmen in the state late last year,” the official disclosed.

According to the governor, “The report I received recently is that at the illegal bunkering sites, they now have children and women, which is a dimension I have never heard before. Sometimes, when the soldiers were authorized to destroy camps and they got there on reconnaissance, they discovered that children and women were used to shield those places. So, we all have to work together in our domains to educate our people. There was a situation where the military moved in and discovered that children and women were there and had to withdraw,” Governor Diri asserted. He charged the monarchs to report to him on oil bunkering sites in their domains, stressing that the ugly trend would be addressed through collaborative efforts.

Why all JTF commanders and security operatives should be investigated — Akpan, COMPPART director

Responding to the increasing incidents of oil theft and asset vandalism amidst arrests and trials of suspects, Saviour Akpan, the executive director of the COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peace Building, in Akwa Ibom State, said the fight against oil theft was ineffective, and the consequential actions were not severe enough to deter organized crime.

“A common African adage says when you see a small bird dancing in the middle of the road, you should know that there are drummers in the bush encouraging it. This is related to the unabated illegal refining camps in the Niger Delta due to high-level support from personalities who are supposed to lead by example, yet they are sabotaging the national economy.

“We should not sweep the revelations of Senator Adams Oshiomhole under the carpet. To determine the involvement of security personnel in oil-related issues in the Niger Delta, we should form a covert, impartial, multi-stakeholder investigation team. This team should investigate all the commanders of the various Joint Task Forces that have been established for the area since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Let’s not forget in a hurry that even Mr. Nyesom Wike, when he was governor of Rivers state, once charged a senior police officer and an NSCDC agent for their involvement in illicit oil transactions in the area. Until we do this sincerely, we will continue to have this ‘kpofire’ in greater proportion.”

Zik Gbemre, the coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), said, “Seriously, if others have made accusations in general terms, Wike at least made the difference. He pointed directly at service commanders involved in oil theft. Did they face legal action? It is a conspiracy among the security agencies, the prosecution, and the bench to ensure that only the small oil thieves are sentenced to cover the false sense of commitment to the fight against oil thieves.

“When large vessels loaded with stolen crude are impounded on the coast and the crew, the foot soldiers, are held, how come there is never a diligent investigation to expose and try the ship owners and those who hired them? Only the crew members get arrested and handed over. And most times the charges are watered, so the suspects are set free with the option of fines because pressuring them in a due trial would make them expose the big power brokers in the corridors of power who bankroll the oil theft.

“It has also been declared in strong terms by Kpofire operators that they produce the bulk of the diesel (AGO) sold in the market today, including those dispensed from retail outlets. Kpofire diesel sells cheaper than imported products despite the quality assurance, so even marketers fund the Kpofire operators to make crazy profits. So, the oil thieves damn the risk of being caught to continue to remain in business,” Gbemre said.

He added, “Besides, the unabated oil theft also attests to the fact that the hyped multi-billion naira surveillance contract is not winning the war against oil theft. It is an organized fraud, an insult to the sensibility of Nigerians. They are not winning any war. The sustained crime is not far-fetched. Several parties involved can’t resist the lure of the fast money that oil theft generates. The oil companies compromised staff, the military, host communities, and the surveillance companies. They are all involved.

“President Bola Tinubu has no will to sanction military officers feeding on illegal bunkering. Every military person lobbies to be posted to the South-South region due to what they gain from illegal bunkering. With all of these, the stealing continues.”

Oil theft will persist until the major players are punished

In the Akwa Ibom state operating space, the battle against oil theft, including artisanal refineries, has not been without arrests, a few prosecutions, and infrequent convictions. Suspects are being apprehended and equipment containing stolen or refined products being seized, as the Nigerian Navy is at the forefront of law enforcement efforts against oil thieves.

Ironically, the more the security forces attack the oil thieves, the more confident they grow in causing more sabotage.

Stakeholders attributed the irony to dishonest law enforcement that “intentionally punishes the small thieves and shields the big players”. On February 23, 2024, a patrol team from the Nigeria Navy Ship, Forward Operating Base Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, detained eight suspected crude oil thieves in the waterways, according to the diary of recent offensives against oil theft. On April 3, 2024, Navy Capt. Uche Aneke, the commanding officer, turned over the suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stating that they were captured aboard the MV Jasmine, a wooden boat.

According to reports, the vessel was “loaded with 30,000 liters of petroleum products suspected to be crude, bunkered in four Geepee tanks and a cellophane-sealed compartment of the boat.” The suspects were petroleum product dealers who lacked the necessary permits. Commodore Abubakar Umar, the commander of the NNS Jubilee, also paraded nine suspected oil thieves who were recently apprehended at a wellhead in Akwa Ibom, which is about 26 nautical miles offshore, during a briefing held in Ibaka.

Regarding recent convictions, two oil thieves were found guilty on January 13, 2025, by the EFCC’s Akwa Ibom Zonal Command. The pair, a ship named MT New Angel, and the Edi Eurolink Distribution, were convicted of theft and unlicensed petroleum product business. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Calabar sentenced the convicted individuals and fined them N10 million, which they were to deposit into the federal government’s account.

Security agents leak information to oil thieves —Alagoa, environmentalist

Morris Alagoa, the deputy director of the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), said that oil theft would persist until the government is seen to be transparent in its dealings.

His words, “It appears the chairman of the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, did not just start the prevention of illegal refining and crude oil bunkering today. I remember traveling to Warri some time ago, and a young man was talking inside the bus that Tompolo should not stop their bunkering business. Apart from that, the military is cooperating with them after receiving gratification. Except when they transfer the old guards and bring in new people, who initially try to be hard, but once they familiarize themselves with the people, it becomes business as usual.

“Recently, a traditional ruler told me that when he approached the military within his environment to inform them of what was going on, the information was leaked to the boys, and they came after him. Security agencies are culpable, and this is partly the reason the problem has persisted.”

Continuing, he said, “It was also revealed sometime in 2013/14 during the Bayelsa Security Summit on Illegal Bunkering and the Nigerian Economy, where Alabo Nengi James and I were panelists. The JTF commander and other military officers were present when a top naval official made a presentation, indicting the military and other top government officials from the NNPC and the oil companies of aiding and abetting under-recording the export volume at the export terminals.”

Tale of spoons and drums

“The naval officer referred to what is happening in the creek (stealing) as using spoons, while at the export terminals, they are using drums. You can see the difference between a spoon and a drum. And so, until there is a holistic approach to deal with the issue, it won’t stop.

Additionally, the government should ensure that goods are accessible throughout the nation. Kerosene, which is the most necessary product for people at the bottom of the social scale, is currently in short supply. It’s hard to get gas without talking about refilling, even for city dwellers. According to economists, supply and demand drive the company. In the Niger Delta, these problems are what motivate and encourage illegal bunkering.

Therefore, the issue will persist until community leaders are adequately taken into account when it comes to their protection, much like politicians and high-ranking officials from the oil companies are given security escorts.

“You can’t expect a paramount ruler to openly attack someone who is operating a local refinery or bunkering in his community without getting hurt. The police protection and other benefits are also necessary for our traditional rulers. When Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was the acting president of the country, he toured the Niger Delta, and the government made pronouncements about modular refineries. The federal government should also talk to the young people in the area about this promise. Until these issues are resolved, we will continue to move back and forth.”

Transfer oil ownership to the indigenes —Prof Okaba, INC chair

Chairman of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said adopting a hard posture alone will not address the problem and, instead, suggested a carrot-and-stick approach to stamp out the menace, which, according to him, “is causing haemorrhage to the nation’s economy.”

Okaba, a university don and president of the Conference of Presidents-General of Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities, said, “Even with the persistent military action, the region has continued to grapple with the challenges posed by this hydra-headed problem. To effectively tackle this issue, it is essential to understand the underlying factors driving this phenomenon and develop targeted strategies to address them. “And these include economic deprivation, lack of economic opportunities, corruption and complicity by security and government officials and community leaders, environmental degradation as a result of continuous deplorable oil exploitation activities, and inadequate security, which have only exacerbated the menace, the impact of which is unimaginable.

“To effectively tackle the above menace, there is an urgent need for economic empowerment, community engagement in decision-making to tackle the root causes, enhanced security, and environmental remediation to address the legacy of environmental damage. The only strategy is to transfer ownership to the indigenes to manage the exploitation of the oil resources and pay to the federal government, in line with true federalism. By understanding the complex interplay of factors driving illegal crude oil refining and implementing these targeted strategies, we can work towards reducing this phenomenon and promoting sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.”

FG, state, asset operators, and communities must have a written agreement — Wills, activist

A legal practitioner and renowned minority rights activist, Iniruo Wills, said, “One fundamental flaw in the current surveillance arrangement is the exclusion of host communities. Until communities are directly and expressly integrated, it is doubtful that the current framework will be effective. What is needed is a written contract between the federal government, the relevant state government, the asset operators, and the communities to safeguard facilities. These four primary stakeholders can decide to combine or choose between a direct community corps of trained asset monitors and private surveillance contractors, based on set ethical and operational guidelines. Without some direct community ownership by way of shared decision-making powers and financial returns for results, the scheme may not see much crucial success.

“There must be a robust whistle-blowing scheme open to that joint stakeholder platform. Finally, the president has to direct or compel the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to work within a given time frame to design and execute a foolproof plan for plugging the petroleum products supply gap in the coastal or host communities region first and foremost, and in the country by extension, whether by way of spawning a hub of mini-refineries or however else.

“The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Federal Ministry of Finance are not excluded. In different dimensions, the fault and responsibility, as well as the solution, lie squarely with these MDAs, and the president should get them to get creative together. That local sufficiency gap is what provides part of the opportunity that the big racketeers take advantage of and expand into the industrial-scale oil theft that is the real cancer now.” (Saturday Vanguard)