According to the NNPCL, a number of incidents were discovered during the specified time period, including the discovery of 78 illegal refineries, 14 AIS violations involving vessels, 8 instances of unauthorized connections, 34 arrests involving wooden boats, 8 arrests involving vehicles, the detection of 4 oil spills, 1 vessel arrest, and 1 incident of pipeline vandalism.
The NNPCL report provided more information regarding the vessel seizure, stating that security personnel detained the MV Ofuoma (a Utility Vessel built in 1981 (42 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Unknown) at the Abuloma jetty, a jetty located in the southeastern region of the country. It was discovered that the ship was carrying 57,000 liters of illegally refined fuel.
According to a report by the Nigerian news agency, Nairametrics, “of the total incidents documented, 14 occurred in the Deep Blue Sea, 48 in the Western region, 31 in the Central region, and 55 in the Eastern region within the oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta.”
For many years, Nigeria has struggled with the problem of crude oil theft. However, as the government and organizations like the Nigerian Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) work to quantify the financial losses that are impeding economic growth within the oil and gas sector, this issue has recently come to the attention of the general public more and more.
Nigeria's Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbass, recently lamented that the nation has lost an astounding $46 billion (or N16.25 trillion) in the preceding 11 years owing to crude oil theft.
