DAILY TRUST
A retired Naval officer and former commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, has informed the House of Representatives Committee investigating oil theft that the menace is a criminal enterprise executed through the connivance of three entities.
He made the claim while speaking before the committee on Friday.
According to him, the criminal triad consists of the official operators in the industry, corrupt security agents and the sponsors of the criminals stealing the petroleum products.
He noted that there was no way crude oil could be stolen from the nation’s export pipeline without the collaboration of the three parts of the criminal gangs.
According to him, nobody will attempt to take crude from the pipeline without insider information.
Rear Admiral Apochi said the information was needed by the criminals because of the pressure in the pipelines which is enough to kill any person attempting to breach the pipes.
According to him, the criminals breach the pipes when there is no pressure or flow and then come back to siphon during flows.
The retired Naval officer informed the committee that the criminals cannot breach the pipes without the cover by corrupt security agents because security agents were supposed to carry out 24-hour surveillance on the pipes.
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