The federal government has been urged to involve external investigators to probe the menace of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta area.
Former Presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu in a statement in Abuja, faulted the involvement of the Nigerian Navy in investigations into the criminal activities.
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Kachikwu in a statement in Abuja, said that the Navy cannot be a judge over an issue involving it.
The statement reads, “The trend trailing the MT Praisel vessel, which was alleged to have been carrying stolen crude should be investigated. I urge the federal government to engage external investigation, adding that Nigerians won’t accept any report emanating from the Navy.
“The story of MT PRAISEL is getting more bizarre by the day. The Nigerian Navy has just released a statement saying tests have confirmed that the product on board the vessel intercepted by Tantita Security Services operatives is indeed HPFO as logged in the permit issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA).”
The statement also called on the National Security Adviser or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up an investigative panel immediately.
He added that, “What the Nigerian Navy fails to understand is that Nigerians won’t accept any report emanating from the Navy”.
“Too many red flags have been raised by Tantita Security Services that warrant the National Security Adviser or the President to set up an investigation panel on this matter.
The permit issued by NMDPRA showed that the voyage of the vessel was from Lagos to Koko in Delta State while the Navy permit said the vessel was going in the opposite direction. The Master of the vessel upon interrogation said the vessel was headed to Bonny. Two permits with conflicting information and the Master with another information, so which are we to believe.”
The MT Praisel was arrested in the Koko area of Delta State by a private security outfit, Tantita Security Service Limited (TSSL) on August 2 over suspicion of stolen crude oil.
It was also reportedly flying a Togolese flag and was being escorted by a navy boat led by a senior naval commander.
