Oil theft: Rogue ships turn off tracking devices to cart away crude – NPA

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Tuesday revealed that rogue vessels that are used to steal crude oil in the Niger Delta turn off their Automation Identification System (AIS) to evade detection and tracking by the authorities in the Nigerian waters.

NPA Managing Director, Mohammed Koko, made the disclosure while fielding questions at the Ministerial Media Briefing anchored by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Specifically, Koko was responding to a question on why the Authority could do nothing following the recent incident of an oil tanker evading arrest in Nigeria after it carted away illegal crude oil.

Painting the picture, Koko further explained that such ships go off the radar and evade arrest because they switch off their onboard automated tracking system that help to locate the vessel’s position and others in the vicinity.

However, he said the NPA had begun the process that would culminate in the procurement of Vessel Tracking Services (VTS) to enable the authorities to identify, locate and monitor all vessels in the nation’s waters.

According to him, the Authority has been trying to acquire the VTS for about 10 years, saying that a certified consultant has now been identified to take up the process, just as he expressed optimism that the facility can be procured before the end of the current administration.