A surveillance operation in Bayelsa State has uncovered illegal bunkering camps and suspected perpetrators.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s Joint Operation on pipeline surveillance in Bayelsa has also linked a prominent security firm to widespread oil theft operations.

During the early hours of Sunday, June 23, 2024, surveillance security operatives conducted patrols in the Okoroba axis of the Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was learnt that their mission led them towards the Elemuama axis, where they discovered a remote bunkering camp.

Hence, the operatives reportedly moved to dismantle the illegal operation, uncovering startling evidence implicating Amotoi Global Services Limited (Amotoi Global), a company reportedly linked to Barr Amunaboye Clement.

Amotoi Global provides surveillance security services to Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (Aiteo), an oil exploration company belonging to pan-African billionaire Benedict Peters.

The identity cards of the Amotoi Global employees discovered on-site and other incriminating evidence raise severe questions about Amunaboye and his company’s involvement in illicit oil bunkering activities in the region.

This evidence is a significant breakthrough in efforts to curb such activities, it was noted by the team.

Further investigation revealed two additional unauthorised bunkering camps nearby.

The surveillance team seized and subsequently destroyed two large boats loaded with crude oil and a fibre boat, which were set ablaze to prevent further illicit activities. It was learnt that the boats could carry large volumes of oil, indicating the scale of the operation.

In a recent disclosure, the NNPCL reported a staggering 400 incidents of crude oil theft within the past week. The bulk of the 400 incidences recorded during the week occurred in the Western region of Rivers and Bayelsa states, with 265 incidences.

They include illegal refineries, unauthorised pipeline connections, vandalism, oil spills, and unlicensed storage sites.

From June 15 to June 21, 2024, the NNPCL identified 165 illegal refineries, 69 unauthorised connections, 15 acts of vandalism, eight oil spills, and 19 illegal storage locations. Additionally, there were 74 vessel AIS infractions, among other violations.

An anonymous regional expert suggested that “measures such as the complete confiscation of assets and freezing all accounts using BVNs will be a highly effective course of action by the EFCC and relevant bodies as Nigeria seeks to combat oil theft. We must ask the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) what steps they are taking to address this situation.”

For several years, oil producers have lamented the debilitating effects of pipeline vandalism, crude theft, and illegal crude trafficking.

Some of the worst-hit companies transport their crude through significant arteries like the NCTL. These disruptions not only lead to production downtime and loss of crude oil but also incur additional expenses for facility repairs.