General
Vessel Carrying Stolen Crude Intercepted in Delta
By Adedapo Adesanya
Tanita Security Services, a Nigerian government-approved outfit, has intercepted a vessel allegedly carrying crude oil suspected to have been stolen in the Koko area of Delta State.
The interception happened on Wednesday while the 1117 tons vessel carrying about 8,100 barrels of crude was being escorted by some naval officers.
Tanita Security outfit is a private security company owned by Mr Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, an ex-Niger Delta agitator who recently got a contract from the federal government to protect oil pipelines.
Operatives of the Tanita Security say the vessel, tagged MT Praisel, was flying a Togolese flag and was being escorted by a Navy boat led by a senior naval commander.
The Tanita operatives said they were met with resistance from the navy boat escorting the vessel and that the naval commander threatened to deal decisively with them.
However, the private operatives said it stood its ground and refused to back down.
But they eventually contacted the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, who authorised them to inspect the vessel.
Upon entrance into the ship, the security company says they noticed that the vessel was authorised to carry products by the navy but did not have any approvals from Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the authority responsible for the regulation of the midstream and downstream petroleum operations in Nigeria, for this said voyage.
The incident comes on the heels of the outcry by the federal government that the illegal trade of stolen crude oil inflicts significant economic losses on Nigeria to the tune of N2.3 trillion in 12 months.
It is a loss experts say could impact up to 25 per cent of the nation’s crude oil production. The recent removal of the petrol subsidy has caused nationwide demonstrations by workers’ unions.
Nigeria’s crude production had hit less than 1 million barrels per day earlier this year from challenges ranging from insecurity, low investment, and de-prioritisation of funding of hydrocarbon development arising from the energy transition.
Currently, Nigeria has the technical allowable capacity to produce about 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, but these challenges put the country’s output at around 1.5 million barrels of oil and condensate per day.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed the premises of an entity operating under the name Community Crime Prevention Initiative of Nigeria (CCPIN) in Aba, Abia state.
In a statement on Thursday, Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC’s director of corporate affairs, said the enforcement operation took place on Wednesday at Number 214 Aba-Owerri Road, in collaboration with law enforcement agents.
Mr Ijagwu said FCCPC’s action followed credible intelligence that CCPIN was falsely claiming affiliation with the commission and misleading the public by representing itself as an “authorised consumer protection NGO”.
“The entity had issued public notices alleging joint surveillance operations with FCCPC and was soliciting consumer complaints through unauthorised telephone lines,” the statement reads.
“During the operation, the operator of the facility, Dr Onwuka K. Okorie, was arrested on-site and is currently in police custody at World Bank Police Station, Abayi-Aba, Abia State, pending further investigation and prosecution.
“A number of exhibits bearing FCCPC’s name, logo, and false enforcement materials were recovered from the premises.”
The official said the commission has no affiliation with CCPIN and does not authorise or partner with the group or any similarly styled organisation for enforcement or consumer protection operations.
He added that FCCPC does not delegate such enforcement powers to NGOs, private entities, or individuals without formal legal authorisation.
Mr Ijagwu advised the public to disregard any announcements, sealing notices, or consumer-related campaigns issued by CCPIN or its representatives.
“To verify any enforcement or communication, members of the public can contact the Commission through its hotlines: 08056002020 and 08056003030. Official FCCPC activities and communications can also be verified via fccpc.gov.ng or social media handles (@fccpcnigeria),” he added.
The recognised consumer protection body also reaffirmed its commitment to operating with the highest level of transparency while ensuring consumer protection and market integrity.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder has dismantled nine illegal refining sites in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, seizing over 170,000 litres of suspected stolen and illegally refined petroleum products.
This is the latest in a long series of efforts to curb oil theft hampering crude oil production and economic growth in Africa’s largest oil producer.
The operation, carried out yesterday (Wednesday) uncovered a sprawling network of criminal infrastructure, including 45 ovens, 30 reservoirs, and 75 dugout pits, according to Commodore Cajethan Nnabuchi Aniaku, Commander of NNS Pathfinder.
He revealed that the illegal sites were stocked with approximately 60,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, 80,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) known as diesel, and 33,000 litres of kerosene.
He said, “During the operation, the Tactical Riverine Assault Squadron Team acting on credible intelligence discovered two wellheads connected with pipes used for siphoning crude oil to illegal camps.
“The team dismantled the connected pipes to the wellheads and destroyed the illegal refining sites. The products were handled in accordance with anti-crude oil theft procedures,” he added.
The outfit could not make any arrests as the perpetrators fled on sighting the patrol team, the scale of the seizure underscores the magnitude of oil theft operations still active in the Niger Delta.
Commodore Aniaku praised the bravery and professionalism of the personnel involved and reaffirmed the Navy’s unwavering resolve to stamp out economic sabotage.
“Under the leadership of Vice Admiral E. I. Ogalla, the Nigerian Navy remains committed to combating crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities which pose significant threats to the nation’s economy and energy security,” he stated.
The latest crackdown comes as the Navy intensifies its riverine operations across the oil-rich region, aligning with national efforts to boost crude production and plug revenue leakages caused by pipeline vandalism and illegal refining.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Brazilian state oil company, Petrobras, is seeking a return to Nigeria’s oil sector with a renewed focus on frontier deepwater exploration.
This came as part of efforts to strengthen ties between both countries.
In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, announced that the development came during an interministerial review meeting.
The meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was held to prepare for the second session of the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism (SDM) in June 2025.
Petrobras, the equivalent of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, had previously wound down its Nigerian operations at the Agbami Field.
Now, with renewed economic reforms under President Bola Tinubu, the company is actively engaging the Nigerian authorities for fresh investment opportunities.
Speaking at the session, Vice President Shettima underscored the strategic importance of Nigeria’s relationship with Brazil, especially as Brazil prepares to host a series of global summits this year.
Providing further insight into Petrobras’ return, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed ongoing discussions with the state owned oil company.
“Apart from ethanol, which they are hoping to engage the NNPCL for blending, Petrobras is also being actively engaged, and we expect they will form part of the delegation to Nigeria,” Mr Tuggar said.
“Petrobras is no longer active in Nigeria, but they are very keen on coming back. They said they want frontier acreage in deep waters.”
Brazil is one of the leading crude oil producers in the world and the largest in Latin America, producing 3 million barrels of crude oil per day.
In addition, the country has proven oil reserves of over 12 billion barrels, primarily located offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.
Petrobras dominates the sector, especially in offshore exploration and production but has joint ventures with international oil companies such as Shell, TotalEnergies, Equinor, and Chevron.
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