Pipeline intelligence team, security agencies burst concealed bunkering operations inside export company in Eleme

Carefully covered crude oil bunkering operations going on for a long period of time inside a company that processes solid minerals for export has been uncovered.

This is the outcome of undercover investigations by one of the companies working for the Federal Government on oil theft.

This has led to a strike that resulted in arrest of seven persons including two believed to be officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NCDSC) posted to protect the facility who allegedly turned coat and worked for the suspected oil theft gang.

Conducting newsmen round the site of the theft, an official of the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd (PINL) which burst the operations said the logistics company at Eleme, Rivers State, was being used as camouflage for illegal bunkerers on the 28-inches Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) along the Ebubu new road by Eleme, Trailer Park, adjourning to the East – West Road.

The official of the pipeline protection outfit, who gave his name Patrick Onogwu (PhD), said his team worked in synergy with security agencies to crack the discrete bunkering operation that led to arrests. Those arrested are said to be currently assisting the security agencies in further investigations.

He said they also impounded two trailer trucks with capacity of 45,000 liters each specially constructed for the operation.

BusinessDay gathered that the suspected oil thieved connected a valve to the 28-in TNP which may be the only pipeline delivering crude oil for export at the moment while Nigeria struggled to return to full export quota.

BusinessDay gathered that the oil bunkerers connected pipes to the valve and led it to the logistics export company (name withheld) through which they drew crude oil at night and cleaned up before daybreak. Newsmen found that the valve is about a mere 200 meters to the walls of the logistics company.

They allegedly loaded about two trucks per night and take to Akwa Ibom State.

According to Onogwu, luck however ran out of the gang on the night of October 6, 2024 the pipeline protection outfit was ready to strike, backed by the army and the NSCDC teams who found that the two NSCDC officials posted to the facility were rather working for the oil thieves.

When the team struck, they also arrested a manager and his assistant of the logistics company plus three others, totalling seven.

Onogwu, a senior manager at the Security and Government Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd, who conducted journalists round the scene of the incident, the arrest was made possible by surveillance personnel of PINL who gave credible intelligence about crude oil thieves operating along that axis.

Based on the information, he added, closer security attention was paid to the area, which eventually led to the bursting of the illegal operations going on in the company.

The primary business of the company where the theft took place is the processing and export of precious stones, including quartz, iron, and glass sand, to China through the Onne port.

According to Onogwu, “They just connected a 9-inch hose from which they load their trucks usually concealed in front of the weighing bridge of the company”. He said the truck was designed to look like the normal ones for the company but inside was a tank to move crude oil.

He said: “Five days ago, we got intelligence that they loaded three trucks from this compound. The trucks they loaded, they use 40-feet containers, build a tank right inside the container as a disguise. Once you see a container like that you think it’s carrying normal products. And they use this customs seal to seal the truck then they transport it to Akwa-Ibom State.

He said when their intelligence became perfect, “We quickly alerted our team from the Ogale camp, under the 29th Battalion, which responded. Led by one Captain Chibok, they came and upon arrival, they met two officers from the Rivers State command of the NSCDC.

The company has been sealed with a combined team of the military and NSCDC stationed there while investigations continue.

Also, a joint venture (JV) inspection has been conducted on the valve and remedial work has also commenced on the line.

It is not clear where the arrested persons were taken to, at the time of filing this story, but the sensitivity of the TNP to Nigeria’s economic survival may have made such theft a federal or presidential matter.

When contacted, Ayodeji Olufemi, the public relations officer (PRO) of the Rivers State command of the NSCDC said the matter was not brought to his table, promising to find out the position of things.

It was gathered that the military and the NSCDC now have squads the report directly to the headquarters in Abuja.