JTF, firm burst bunkering syndicate, discover tampered oil rigs in Ondo

Operatives of the Special Joint Task Force and men from a private security firm, Galaxy Security Services, yesterday, busted an illegal oil bunkering syndicate syphoning crude oil from Chevron/NNPC rigs on the high seas in Ondo State.

The team, led by one of the prominent crusaders for Niger Delta development, High Chief Bibopere Ajube, tracked the evacuation points of the bunkering syndicate within elephant grass in the Ilaje Local Council of the state.

During the operation, three monster boats used for the illicit operations by the syndicate were discovered at different points where they were hidden within suspended residential raft houses at the Awoye Island community.

The team also tracked the rigs tagged CNL/NNPC JKT 1, CNL/NNPC JKT 2, CNL/NNPC JKT 9 and CNL/NNPC JKT 12, from which the syndicate syphoned illegally produced crude oil that was on the Atlantic Ocean.

According to Ajube, the activities of the bunkering syndicate have enormously undermined the economy of the nation. He said: “We are making efforts to stop bunkering in the state and in the Niger Delta as a whole, though this is tedious and requires a lot of funding to do in terms of fuelling the boats and staying on the water for several hours to checkmate the perpetrators.

“Here in Ondo State, we talk to our youths about not engaging in illegal businesses. We encourage them to exert their energy in businesses that would earn them a living without security agents chasing them around.

“It is unfortunate that people engage in bunkering, a development that has drastically reduced the country’s earnings and forced the government to go into debt.

“Our people need to stop this act for our economy to improve through more earnings from the crude oil sales.

“On this discovery, we will have to inform the appropriate quarters to fix the rigs with a view to preventing the perpetrators from continuing with their illegal activities.”