Ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, whose contract is to provide intelligence that could stop oil theft, has obtained a comprehensive list of security officials behind oil theft in Nigeria.
He strongly accused the security agencies of being behind the stealing of Nigeria’s crude oil.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission put the volume of crude oil theft every day at about 600,000 barrels.
Stealing of crude oil is being carried out by the same security agencies that are supposed to catch the thieves
Recall that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) recently awarded N4.5 billion monthly pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo to stop the economic bleeding.
Tompolo, in an interview on Channels Television, pointed out that the stealing of crude oil is being carried out by the same security agencies that are supposed to catch the thieves.
He said: “Security officials are behind this oil theft. They are deeply involved. They are trying to bring down this country. You will find security personnel all over the place. Though we have good ones, there is no way you can load a vessel without settling the security officials that are within that area.”
He warned the thieves to desist from the action, otherwise, he would expose them.
“I have a comprehensive list of those who are involved. A lot of key players are involved, from Abuja to Lagos. We are appealing to the top security officials to talk to their people to change,” the ex-militant leader asserted.
Tompolo said from the intelligence at his disposal, most of the security agencies including the Army, Navy and Police have illegal bunkering locations. He said only the Department of State Security (DSS) has not been mentioned in the looting of Nigeria’s oil wealth.
He warned that if crude oil theft is not halted, there would be no money to run the country.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Nigeria has seen increased oil theft in recent years. The NNPC had earlier said that the country loses 470,000 barrels of crude oil monthly amounting to $700 million to oil theft.
No fewer than 210 persons have been arrested in the Niger Delta for crude oil theft following intelligence gathering and military operations carried out in the region.
This piece of information was made available to newsmen by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in Abuja on Friday.
Mohammed had a meeting with officers of Nembe Creek Trunk Line and Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal that have been under force majeure since March 2022.
He said 365 illegal refining sites were destroyed, with about 1,054 refining ovens, 1,210 metal storage tanks, 838 dugout pits, and 346 reservoirs destroyed.
The minister disclosed that the campaign by the Military has also led to the confiscation of 20.2 million litres of AGO, 461.8 thousand litres of petrol, 843.6 thousand litres of DPK, and 383.5 thousand barrels of crude oil.
It was reported that Nigeria loses 00,000 barrels of oil per day in the Niger Delta due to oil theft.
However, Mohammed reiterated the government’s resolve to end crude oil theft in the country from vandals and economic saboteurs, adding that their impact have negatively affected the production of crude oil and natural gas in the country.
“We have witnessed first-hand a number of illegal refineries destroyed by our military in the course of our aerial surveillance.
“Several vehicles, crude mining and bunkering equipment like speed boats, wooden boats, market boats, trucks and tankers have been confiscated by the government security agencies,” Mohammed said.
Meanwhile the NNPC has set up a central command and control centre to enable it effectively carry out a real time monitoring of petroleum activities including movement of all vessels within the Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone.
The General Manager National Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), a subsidiary of NNPCL, Bala Wunti, stated this while briefing the minister.
He said the control centre has also launched the Crude Sales Document Validation Portal to enable the public to validate all crude sales, particularly those illegally exported.
“The thinking is that a lot is being exported. If it is exported it is illegal crude. Yesterday the GCO in New York asked the international community to declare that kind of crude as blood oil. And for us to be able to make sure we do that we have to set up what we call crude validation portal,” Wunti said.
He said the portal will ensure that all the crude oil exported from Nigeria has an entry number that will enable a potential buyer to get details about the quantity and genuineness of such a product by using a special code available on the portal for verification.
He said over 97 incidents have been reported on the portal, while a whistle blower portal also allows the public to report unwholesome activities. According to him, 35 whistle blowers are reported on the average daily.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) had earlier reported that Angola and Libya have overtaken Nigeria in the production volume output in crude oil.
The President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Festus Osifo, has hinted that the heads of the Nigerian Military, Police and other security agencies collude to steal crude oil in the Niger Delta.
This revelation was made known during his appearance at the one-day public hearing of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee to investigate oil lifting, theft and the impact on petroleum production and oil revenues
The seminar was presided over by Senator Albert Bassey Akpan at the floor of the Red chamber.
Osifo lamented the involvement of security who post their personnel to the Niger Delta to serve their interest illicitly.
“The stakeholders all know clearly what is happening. It is not that people don’t know the problem.
“One of the greatest problems we have, which nobody has highlighted, is that there is a strong collusion of our security forces. There is no doubt about it.
“From our Army to our Naval officers, we have some information that they pay their superiors to post them to some areas in the Niger Delta.
“I think the people who have solutions to this problem are not even the ones sitting here. They are the ones you will invite behind the camera.”
Prior to Osifo’s revelation, the Committee Chairman, Senator Albert Bassey Akpan expressed disappointment and displeasure over endless oil theft ravaging Niger-Delta communities.
He disclosed that committee members have paid a visit to the Niger Delta on sight seeing, stressing that after the inspection of some terminals, they left Port Harcourt.
Akpan said, “As a Committee of the Senate, we have the privilege of carrying out extensive on the spot assessment of where we found ourselves. It might interest you to know that we spent over seven days in Port Harcourt trying to find out the conditions of onshore and offshore being briefed by the relevant stakeholders.
“The first thing we needed to do is get a convincing understanding of what the institution is passing through and nobody was happy when we left.
“As a Committee, when we talk about oil theft, it’s on a daily basis. It’s also not good that the short fall based on our inability to meet the oil quota is as a result of oil theft.
“Mr President, my distinguished colleagues, we share instances of Bonny terminal which is run by Shell Petroleum. This terminal over a year ago was exporting 60 tankers of crude oil with a minimum of one million barrels of crude oil per tanker per month.
“But in the last seven months, not one barrel of crude oil has passed through that terminal, so you can imagine the huge loss and we are here as a country struggling to meet up with our economic challenges.
“The MTEF that has been submitted to us, the Federal government is seeking a budget deficit of over N11 trillion and here we are as a country shutting oil production over 700 million barrels.”
The committee will draft its report and forward to the appropriate quarters for measures to be taken to stop oil theft in those communities.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said its report after investigating the reported gas leak in Sangama Community of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State revealed that it was caused by suspected vandals and thieves.
This is contained in a press statement signed by the commission’s executive, Gbenga Komolafe, a copy of which was made available to TheNewsGuru.
According to the statement, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) was carried out on September 11, by a team from NUPRC, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Rivers State Ministry of Environment as well as Community representatives with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) upon receipt of a notification to the development.
The statement reads in parts, “The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) been notified of a gas leak incident on the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC), Well 6, in Sangama community, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State. Efforts are being made alongside other relevant agencies to deal with the situation.
“The incident which was reportedly observed on September 3, 2022 at about 13:30 hours, was reported by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Exploration & Production Limited (NNPC E&P LTD) on September 9, 2022.
“A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) was carried out on September 11, by a team from NUPRC, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Rivers State Ministry of Environment as well as Community representatives with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in attendance.
“During the JIV, the team observed gas leak from one of the valves on the well head. A closer look revealed that the Anode valve on the well head had been tampered with. It was adjudged by the regulators to have been caused by third party interference.”
The statement said the community had a disagreement with the regukatira, hence their refusal to sign the investigation report.
“However, the community did not agree with the regulators and as a result would not sign the joint investigation report in spite of the technical explanation by the team. This prompted the team to reconvene on September 15, 2022 when, after an extensive discussion, all stakeholders eventually signed the incident report.
“Efforts are on-going to prevent further leakage, repair the damage and ensure that the development does not in any way affect the health and social lives of the people of the area and does not negatively impact the environment,” it concluded.
In line with tackling oil theft in the country, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 501 suspected pipeline vandals and oil thieves, alongside destroyed 71 illegal refineries.
This was disclosed by NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, at the inauguration of 93 operational vehicles for the corps by Interior Mianister Rauf Aregbesola, Thursday, in Abuja.
Audi said the figure represented some of the achievements of the corps between January and August.
The NSCDC boss said the specialised operational vehicles would be used to combat potential threats to national security arising from felonious acts.
He listed the nefarious acts as crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, smuggling, pipeline vandalism and related crimes within the coastal and offshore areas.
NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed AudiNSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi
Aregbesola urged the corps to remain intolerant of anything that poses a threat to the safety and peace of Nigerians.
“Utilise and maintain the vehicles to serve their purpose and ensure to train personnel to operate the vehicles,” he said.
Also, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) protested yesterday in Abuja, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and Warri, Delta State. Their grouse was the massive oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
The angry oil workers threatened a showdown with the Federal Government due to the economic implications the massive oil theft in the oil producing region was causing its members and fellow Nigerians.
PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo led the oil workers on a rally to the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
Osifo said the association had repeatedly tried to engage stakeholders in the last one year, to proffer solutions to the problem of oil theft and vandalism, but that the engagements had not yielded results.
Also, the NNPC yesterday called for the sensitisation and de-radicalisation of pipeline vandals to enable investors put their money in oil business in the country, especially in the Niger Delta region.
NNPC’s Group General Manager for Security, Abba-Gana Muhammed, said this while receiving the protesters at the NNPC Towers in Abuja on behalf of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the company.
He expressed appreciation to members of PENGASSAN, saying the NNPC boss was also doing his best to protect the pipelines and other oil installations.
Osifo urged President Muhammadu Buhari to give security chiefs a month’s deadline to make progress on investigating security outfits sent to the Niger Delta, and send those culpable for non-performance.
Also, Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said there was no justification in linking the military with oil theft, operation of illegal refineries and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta region.
The DHQ was reacting to allegation that some military personnel were invlolved in oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
It said troops were taking enormous risk working in the highly hazardous terrain of the region to protect oil installations and deny oil thieves, vandals and other criminals within the maritime domain the freedom to operate.
The Director Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor said the soldiers drafted to the oil producing region were doing their best and achieving good results.
Akpor said: “When you see the terrain where the oil is produced, you will ask, you are the stakeholders in the production and security of the oil and gas. We need to answer that question so that when you’re writing, you will be writing from the point of knowledge.
“This is because the oil companies are involved, the soldiers are involved and the communities are also involved. But they are only making the military the cannon folder. The military is the weeping child.
“If you’re going to protest that soldiers have not done their job, know that soldiers have done their job. The volume of crude oil that has been recovered shows that they are doing their job. The recent arrest of a super tanker that could have taken out 3 million barrels of crude oil unaccounted for also shows that the military is doing their job.”
The Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, said troops of Operation Delta Safe had continued the clampdown on oil thieves in the last two weeks.
The military media chief said oil products valued at N1,235,624,462.45 were recovered within the time under review.
Also, PENGASSAN’s Port Harcourt Zone yesterday protested oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.
Members of the association started their procession from Isaac Boro Park in the Rivers State capital and ended it at the Police Command headquarters.
Their Zonal Chairman Peter Onita said: “We have seen bigger international oil companies (IOCs) that produce more than 30,000 barrels of oil and what will be seen is 3,000 barrels per day.
“As an association, we have been engaging and we will continue to engage the government in the interest to make sure that oil theft and vandalism of oil facilities are put to a stop.
“Today, the OPEC production for Nigeria is put at 1.62 million barrels per day (bpd). As a country, we have the capacity to produce 2 million bpd but because the oil theft, it is difficult. For close to a year now, we have been struggling to meet our quota. Because of this theft, IOCs are leaving the country.”
Rivers State Police Commissioner Eboka Friday said: “The Federal and state governments are not happy with the ugly trend. Since early this year, the governor, in particular, has been very vibrant to ensure that this menace stops.
“Remember early this year, I followed the governor to the bushes to destroy illegal oil refineries. He did not stop there. After that, you realise that the soot reduced drastically.
“On August 19, the governor set up a task force, comprising of the Army, Civil Defence, and the police to fight from all front the war against oil theft.”
Also, hundreds of PENGASSAN members in Warri, Delta State, yesterday protested increasing pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the oil workers besieged the Delta State Governor’s Office Annexe in Warri around 8 a.m and tabled their grievances.
Their Chairman Audu Oshiokhamele said: “Some companies producing crude oil told us that any time they mine crude oil, before it gets to the reservoir for storage, it’s only water that’s left. And it’s affecting the output of crude production in Nigeria.
“We are telling the government to prosecute those that have been arrested. This is because we know that without government’s involvement in this matter, it will be difficult for the thieves to continue their business.”
Also, PENGASSAN Group Chairman at NNPC Limited in Warri, Prince Emea Okorie, regretted that Nigeria could no longer meet its OPEC target of 1.8 million barrels per day.
He said the country is “presently struggling to meet 1 million barrels per day due to theft”.
Addressing the gathering, the Director at Governor’s Office in Annexe Warri, Mrs. Violet Onowakpokpo, assured the protesters that their grievances would be conveyed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
A former President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria PENGASSAN, Comrade Peter Esele, has dropped a hint on how the government can eliminate the unabated crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Esele, who is a former president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said one effective approach is the deployment of technology in the region to stop the collaboration of officials, oil workers, and community members in the big business of crude theft in Nigeria.
He also identified corruption as the driving factor hindering past and present governments in Nigeria from nipping oil theft in the bud while urging the establishment of modular refineries and the removal of petrol subsidies to prevent further economic losses.
Esele was speaking during an anti-corruption radio programme, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, Wednesday in Abuja.
Comrade Esele emphasized that systemic corruption is the main factor holding the Nigerian government back from tackling oil theft headlong.
According to Esele, the federal government must take advantage of technology to check oil theft: “Federal government can deploy area surveillance, and aerial surveillance these days is not so expensive, we have drone technology, and that can help.
“It is not just the federal government. Oil theft is affecting you, me, infrastructural development, healthcare, education, and until the federal government decides to stand up and take the challenge frontally, we will continue to talk about it,” Esele warned.
He revealed that the widespread oil theft is an organized venture run by groups in collaboration with security operatives, faulting the government for being unserious with finding a lasting solution to oil theft but only reacting presently because the country is “financially sick.”
To curb the menace, Esele, a former board member of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), urged the federal government first to get the buy-in of the oil-producing communities as the oil theft worsened by their sense of injustice.
An investigative report by the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) revealed that the volume of crude oil lost to theft and sabotage between 2016 and 2020 can massively provide infrastructure, reduce national debts, and build thousands of Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in Nigeria.
Also, speaking during the radio programme, the founder of Afrisankofa360, Tamunokuro Iyo Obietonbara, advocated strongly that the federal government encourages the setting up of modular refineries and removal of petrol subsidy if Nigeria must reduce oil theft to its barest minimum.
According to Obietonbara, “Nigerian government is hypocritical because government officials and top security officials are benefitting. They are the ones to a large extent, responsible for the oil theft,” he alleged.
He advised that the administration after President Buhari must be sincere with exposing perpetrators of oil theft, set up modular refineries, engage the communities, and fully deregulate the petroleum sector.
“An honest government will have the courage to expose and prosecute those culpable of sabotaging our economy.
“The incoming govt next year should engage the communities, set up modular refineries, fully deregulate the petroleum sector, let us bear the pain once and for all, take off subsidies, take off the corruption in the sector, and let market forces determine the price,” Obietonbara stated.
Earlier, a journalist with ICIR, Harrison Edeh, called for all hands to be on deck in the fight against oil thieves in Nigeria, noting that the country cannot quantify the impact of losing about 400 barrels of crude oil per day.
Edeh said, “everybody’s hand has to be on deck to solve this menace. It is a huge concern because it affects our economy and livelihood, and inflation is rising because we are borrowing overboard.
He welcomed the launching of an applications platform by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to monitor crude oil theft. Still, He urged the government to establish a conciliatory pact with the oil-producing communities whose environment had been affected by oil exploration.
“The government must come out straight and strong in its approach. Don’t talk from both sides of the mouth. Find a way to engage relevant stakeholders from that region.
“Oil remains our mainstay. Everybody must sit at the table to make their demands known. The modular refineries are key, but they should also be guided so they don’t pollute the environment,” Edeh advised.
Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program used by PRIMORG to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
The European Union, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) and the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Delta Safe, on Friday visited an illegal refining site in Rivers, to inspect the impacts on the environment.
The refinery, already destroyed by the JTF is located in Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state.
The visit is for the EU, partners to assess things for themselves and how crude oil thieves set up illegal refineries and the adverse impact on the communities.
Newsmen reports that the EU delegation comprises Ms Samuela Isopi, Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS; Ms Cecile Leeman Team Leader, Southern partnerships EU Commission.
Others are Mr Richard Young, Head of Division West Africa; Mr Thomas Kieler, Political Adviser, EU delegation to Nigeria; Mr Jerome Riviere, Programme Manager EU delegation to Nigeria; Mr Juan Sell, Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria.
Mr Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC, commended the JTF for their good work in the Niger Delta area, in safeguarding the nation’s oil and gas assets.
He said Nigeria would soon curtail the breaches, and that they came with the development partners to see how much work was going on and how they could help to bring sanity, and restore oil production and security for everyone.
“It cannot happen unless we are able to work together with all the reports; we are also ready for our partners to see things for themselves and the efforts that are being made to curtail the situation.
“I commend the troops on the ground, working to ensure that the nation’s oil and gas sector is secured.
“We believe by August we will be able to bring down the menace to a minimal level. It is not good for the community, it has a huge negative impact on the environment.
“Today the livelihood of the people here are impacted, people doing the business are not from the community, they are actually from other places.
“We are working with the community to take this out so that they can go back to their normal way of life.
“We are happy we are here today to see things for ourselves and our partners,” he said.
On his part, Rear Adm. Aminu Hassan, the JTF Commander, said within the period of three months, the taskforce destroyed more than 2,000 illegal refineries in the area.
He said: “In one site here you can get between 50 to 100 composite units where everyone is operating; just like a market, everybody is doing his illicit business in one market. So, that is how they operate.
“Within a refining site, you can get hundreds of units, everyone doing his own, within a week or thereabout you can succeed in destroying thousands.
“Mechanically we are destroying their machines which they are very fast in constructing.
“If you really want to suppress them, you must be faster than them, work ahead of them, that is why we introduced this equipment, you will be on top of the situation to be ahead of them,” he said.
He said that the community was of great support to the task force.
“So, to a great extent we are getting support from the community, we are urging them to also avail us with more information,” he said.
He urged those indulging in such illegality to desist from such and find legitimate business, to better their lives.
Also, Mr Mathew Baldwin, Deputy Director General, European Union Commission, said they were on fact finding mission, adding that oil theft and illegal refining remained a big problem.
He commended the JTF and the NNPC, for the great work done to salvage and restore the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
“We are here to find and understand the problem, if the production is used for the local market and if most of the production is going into the international market.
The Nigerian Navy has arrested a vessel named ”Motor Tanker Harbor Spirit” and 13 Nigerians on board conveying a fortified and auctioned crude oil from MV KOME XVIII with a forged document.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan in Abuja.
Ayo-Vaughan said that both the vessel and the suspects have been handed over to the Forward Operating Base Bonny for further investigation.
”The vessel has been subsequently boarded by the NN and her 13 crew men, all Nigerians, have been arrested and handed over to the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny, for further investigation and possible handover for prosecution.
“The arrest came barely two days after the arrest of MT QUEEN OF PEACE for unauthorised possession of petroleum product without valid documents.
“It is indicative of the resolve of the NN to rid Nigeria’s maritime environment of all infractions and illegalities for legitimate maritime activities to strive towards the economic growth of Nigeria.”
The Navy launched Operation ”Obangame Express”, consisting of multi-national maritime exercise in West Africa with 32 other countries participating in their respective maritime area.
Also reported that the exercise is to avail the participating countries the opportunity to showcase how they have been able to manage their respective maritime environment against illegal activities.
Chinese technology company, Huawei Technologies on Tuesday said it had developed an intelligent pipeline monitoring system to help tackle crude oil theft in Nigeria.
Mr Li Wei, Director of Huawei Nigeria Enterprise Business, made this known at a news briefing on the sidelines of the ongoing Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Wei said: “Huawei-developed fibre vibration intrusion warning system uses Artificial Intelligence to identify intrusion scenarios accurately.
“With high identification precision, accurate positioning, and quick response, it will help to ensure pipeline safety and reduce theft and vandalism.’’
According to him, Huawei will continue to support the digital transformation of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry by developing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions.
“Faced with the ongoing volatility of international oil prices, Huawei believes that the digital transformation of Nigeria’s upstream sector is a top priority.
“In response to the strategy proposed by the Nigerian government and oil companies, Huawei promotes the digital oilfield Internet of Things and Exploration and Production storage solutions.
“This will help oil and gas companies to achieve real-time visualised production, improve production efficiency, reduce production costs, and optimise production resource allocation to improve oilfield production.’’
Wei said in addition to providing high-quality ICT solutions and services, Huawei actively support the Nigerian government in building a talent ecosystem.
He said the company had signed an ICT academy agreement with more than 110 universities and schools and had trained more than 1,000 civil servants and 40,000 young students in Nigeria.
“We hope to build a strong talent base camp to promote Nigeria’s digital economy development,’’ Wei added.
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Tuesday forwarded an executive Bill to the State House of Assembly for consideration of a Law to provide for the forfeiture of property used for illegal storage of crude oil.
The bill is contained in a letter read during plenary of the Assembly in Asaba by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chief Sherriff Oborevwori.
The Governor said: “I wish to intimate the House of the State Government’s desire to provide a Bill for a Law for the Delta State Forfeiture Law and other matters connected therewith.
“Despite ongoing amnesty and other measures taken to address crude oil theft in the Niger-Delta region in addition to concerted efforts of the Federal and Oil-producing States in securing our pipelines, oil production challenges appear unabated as pipeline sabotage has continued to result in crude oil loses.”
Okowa also stated that the losses and high cost of operation had hampered the nation’s earnings from oil which invariably is affecting the States, Delta inclusive.
“Regrettably, experience has shown that the illegal Storage of crude oil are perpetuated using property such as premises, caravans, vehicles, vessels, aircraft and other forms of of containers.
“It has therefore become necessary to nip this ugly trend in the bud by ensuring that those who use or provide their property to commit an offence are held liable.
“For the purpose of this law, a property is said to have been used to commit such offence where an element of the acts which constitutes the offence took place on the property, or where the property has been used for the storage of crude oil.
“In view of the socio-economic benefit of the Bill to the State, therefore, I wish to forward for the consideration of and passage of into law by the House, a Bill for a Law for the Delta State Forfeiture Law 2021 and any other matters connected therewith,” he said.
Also at Tuesday’s plenary, the House received another bill from the governor for a Law to regulate the Manufacture and Use of Deep Canoes (Cotonou Boats) in Delta State and for purposes connected therewith.
Consequently, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Mr Ferguson Onwo, moved a motion for the Assembly to receive both bills as proposed.
The motion, which was unanimously adopted by the Assembly when put to a voice vote by the Speaker, was seconded by the member representing Uvwie constituency in the state Assembly, Mr Solomon Ighrakpata.
