Illegal Bunkering: Ex-militant's Firm Busts Ship, Destroys 50 Boats in Niger Delta

A vessel contracted by a Lagos-based oil company has been arrested for allegedly receiving stolen petroleum products from illegal bunkerers in the Escravos waters near Warri, the Delta State capital.

The arrest came as over 50 local boats were destroyed in illegal refining camps, with many oil thieves arrested in the area in the last three months,

The 2500 metric tonne capacity vessel christened, MT Lady Jay, was said to have received about 1000 metric tonnes of petroleum products from local oil thieves before it was arrested along with its crew members by officials of Oil Facility Surveillance Limited (OFSL).

OFSL is a security firm believed to be owned by a former militant commander,Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo. The company was contracted by the Federal Government to protect the Niger Delta waterways from the activities of illegal oil bunkerers.

Parading the suspects at Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, General Manager of OFSL, Mr Pondi Kestin, said the vessel was nabbed alongside four local boats by OPSL officials at Escravos.

 He disclosed that a confrontation had ensued immediately after the arrest as the local oil thieves ambushed the OFSL officials in a desperate bid to free the arrested vessel during which OFSL lost one of the local boats to the bunkerers.

According to Kestin,“On December 11, 2012, a vessel named MT Lady Jay with three local boats was arrested by our field operatives at Escravos bar. But unfortunately we lost one of the local boats to the bunkerers when they open fire on our personnel.”

 He said the vessel was allegedly cleared with fake documents with which they were able to evade arrest by the Navy.

Kestin disclosed that the vessel and the crew members would be handed over to the Global West Vessel Specialist Limited (GWVSL), a contracting firm engaged by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to handle the Federal Government maritime security partnership contract for further persecution.

Lamenting his ordeal as he explained how he and his crew members were busted,, the captain of the vessel,Felix Fenimo, told journalists that he was sent by Habasort Global Service Limited, Apapa, Lagos to load refined product from illegal refinery operators in Escravos.

He said he was not aware that the company was engaged in illegal oil bunkering.

"My name is Felix Fanimo, I am from Ilaje in Ondo State, I am 59 years old. I work for Habasort Global Services at Apapa. My Madam (Mrs. Joke Tiamio) told us to come to Escravos to load products.

 “While we were loading, members of the Oil Surveillance came and arrested 10 of us at 3am on Wednesday, we were on illegal business. I just started work with her, I didn't know she is into illegal business, my salary is N140,000 monthly.

“I have 13 years experience as a captain, I was trained at Savannah Fishing Company in Lagos, I have a wife and five kids. My office made the arrangement with the refiners, we don't pay them cash, we only load from them," he said.