‘Cheap Blackmail’ — Military Knocks Tompolo Over Claim Of Abetting Crude Oil Theft

…As Military Recovers Over N921m From Oil Thieves, Arrest 51 Suspects

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed as “cheap blackmail” the accusations made by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) that the DHQ is aiding and abetting crude oil theft.

The DHQ, at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, said the allegations contradict its mission to combat crude oil theft and support efforts to increase crude oil production.

On Monday, TSSNL’s Chairman, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, accused the Nigerian Navy of sabotaging the nation’s economy by frustrating the war against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta Region.

“In fact, the Nigerian Navy is frustrating us. The operatives of the navy are colluding and collaborating with these criminals to swindle the nation,” Tompolo said while receiving the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Monday.

However, the DHQ described the allegations as laughable, given the military’s resilience and collaboration with all stakeholders in the ongoing fight against crude oil theft in the region.

Speaking to the press, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba said the nation would continually take its responsibility to increase crude oil production seriously rather than engage in “cheap fighting.”

Buba said, “That is what Nigeria wants. We want to increase the crude oil production of our nation and not all this cheap fighting.

“We are going to continue to try to work together with all partners but all this cheap blackmail, we should move past that in the interest of our nation.

“We will work together with all partners and I think that all this cheap blackmail should stop because the effort of our Navy is obvious to all.”

In October, the Nigerian Navy said it recovered no fewer than 171,400 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and 86,400 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

The development further substantiates the revelation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that the nation’s crude oil production rose to 1.8mbd in October.

Over N921m Recovered From Oil Thieves

Meanwhile, Buba noted the nation’s troops in the past week recovered an estimated sum of over N921.8m while a total of 51
perpetrators of oil theft were arrested within the period under review.

Buba said the troops in the Niger Delta area destroyed 78 crude oil cooking ovens, 21 dugout pits, 56 boats, 56 drums, 26 storage tanks and 56 illegal refining sites.

They also recovered two speedboats, one barge, two tricycles, one pumping machine, two walkie-talkies, two outboard engines, nine mobile phones and 12 vehicles.

“Troops recovered 872,070 litres of stolen crude oil and 67,985 litres of illegally refined AGO,” Buba said.