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Amid the current efforts by the Rivers State government to rid the state of artisanal refineries, otherwise known as Kpofire and save the people from its damaging effects, information has emerged that the current upsurge of soot pandemic in the state was caused by the renewed drive of the Nigerian Navy and other security operatives to ensure that stolen crude oil does not leave the shores of the country.
A source very familiar with the development told The Guardian that the Nigerian Navy under the current Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, has been waging a ferocious battle against oil theft such that oil thieves now find it difficult to move the product out of the country.
The source noted that with patronage for illegal crude oil almost at zero level at the moment, oil thieves resorted to the establishment of artisanal refineries (Kpofire) to remain afloat.
Kpofire, in local Niger Delta parlance, is the process of hitting crude at makeshift locations called bunkering sites or dumpsites by illegal oil operatives or oil thieves to extract refined petroleum products.
It is just another way of remaining in the business of stealing Nigerian crude. The Nigerian Navy has been very effective in combating trade in illegal crude oil lately. Naval operatives patrol Nigerian territorial waters and have ensured that vessels that move stolen crude out of the country don’t come in again. Many of such vessels had been arrested and detained. So, the thieves now started building Kpofire. And you know how these things work. If one person builds and succeeds, another person will follow suit. That is why we now have illegal refineries scattered all over the Niger Delta region; but they appear to be more in Rivers State,” the source explained.
An impeccable source close to the Navy, who craved anonymity, confirmed the narrative. The source said: “In 2015, the Navy emplaced total spectrum maritime strategies to guide their responses to crude oil theft and other crimes in the maritime domain. The Navy cannot be everywhere; therefore, they have deployed Falcon Eye system to monitor activities of oil theft, piracy and other crimes in maritime environment.
“Falcon Eye is a facility that has the capacity to spot, chase and interdict maritime criminals quietly and efficiently on the nation’s sea lanes. Falcon Eye system serves as a force multiplier for naval platforms tasked with securing Nigeria’s maritime environment from external aggression.
Read the full story in The Guardian
