between 2007 and2015.
It was learnt on Friday that the agencies were focusing on 113 vessels that the Federal Government banned last July from lifting Nigeria’s crude oil.
The EFCC, as part of its investigation into oil theft, had in June last year quizzed some top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
A source in the DSS said that the fresh investigations were aimed at getting “strong evidence” against companies involved in oil theft to ensure diligent prosecution.
The source stated that the DSS would submit its findings to the Ministry of Justice after the investigation.
“The investigations are to ensure that we block loopholes so that we will have a good case when the trial begins,” he said.
It was gathered that an inter-agency committee, which the Federal Government set up in July last year to collect data on 113 vessels, had submitted its report to the government.
The committee consisting the DSS, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency; Nigerian Navy, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Department of Petroleum Resources was mandated to collect data on 113 vessels, which the government in July banned from lifting Nigeria’s crude oil.
It was learnt that the government had forwarded the report of the inter-agency committee to the DSS and EFCC, with the aim of probing the activities of the affected companies.
Although the DSS source, who declined to name the companies, said that some of them belonged to powerful politicians in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The NNPC had in July banned 113 vessels from lifting Nigeria’s crude oil.
According to reports, the embargo was not unconnected with abuses that had characterised crude oil lifting in the past.
The ban, it was gathered, was aimed at sending a strong signal to those who were engaging in illegal lifting of crude oil.
But in September, the NNPC lifted the embargo placed on the 113 vessels and set-up the inter-agency committee.
The corporation had, in a statement, explained that the embargo was lifted following the receipt of letters of comforts from the affected companies that their vessels would not be used for illegal activities.
Findings showed that some of the vessels, in order to hide their illegal activities, had documents in Chinese, Russian and French.
It was also gathered that the inter-agency committee, in its report, explained activities of illegal crude oil lifters.
These include tapping into crude pipelines or directly tapping the wellhead by removing the Christmas Tree, (a structure on the wellhead).
Holes, which are used in siphoning crude oil into small barges, are attached to the wellheads.
Last year, the EFCC had invited a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company and three other executive directors of the NNPC in relation to lifting of oil without payment.
Officials of the NDPC, who were grilled, were alleged to have said that they released crude oil to some firms on the instruction of a former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, but the minister was said to have denied the claim.
Attempts to get the EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone did not connect. Also, the DSS could not be reached as it had yet to get a spokesperson.
But when contacted, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, on Friday confirmed that investigations into oil theft were going on.
He, however, said that the trial of suspected looters of oil revenue was being delayed because of the need for investigators to gather sufficient evidence that could secure conviction.
Malami said no specific time for the trial of the suspects to commence could be given due to ongoing efforts to ensure that comprehensive investigation was carried out.
He said, “Nobody can tell you with certainty when trial will begin. But definitely it must come to pass. There is no doubt about it.
“There is no way you can go to court with a half-baked case, your case must be fully baked before you go to court but that entails comprehensive investigation and getting the required proof of evidence to support your case to enable you to eventually win the case.”
When asked about the stages of the investigations, he said, “I do not understand whether investigation has stages, but investigations are on and aggressive for that matter and to be concluded within the shortest possible time.”
Malami also said that efforts were being made to ensure expeditious determination of the cases when they get to court.
He said, “This time around whichever case we take to court, we will make sure that it is expeditiously determined. So by the time we take off, we expect immediate and aggressive prosecution that will yield result. Time is of essence as far as prosecution is concerned.”
SOURCE
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