The Federal Government has been urged to involve external investigators to probe the menace of crude oil theft in the Niger-Delta region.
Former Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu, in a statement issued in Abuja, faulted the involvement of the Nigerian Navy in investigations into the criminal activities.
Kachikwu, in the statement, said that the Navy cannot be a judge over an issue involving it. According to him, “The trend trailing the MT Praisel vessel, which was alleged to have been carrying stolen crude should be investigated. I urge the Federal Government to engage in external investigation”, adding that Nigerians won’t accept any report emanating from the Navy.
“The story of MT PRAISEL is getting more bizarre by the day. The Nigerian Navy has just released a statement saying tests have confirmed that the product on board the vessel intercepted by Tantita Security Services operatives is indeed HPFO as logged in the permit issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA)”, the statement read in part.
The statement also called on the National Security Adviser, or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to set up an investigative panel immediately.
The MT Praisel was arrested in the Koko area of Delta State by a private security outfit, Tantita Security Service Limited (TSSL) on August 2 over suspicion of stolen crude oil. It was also reportedly flying a Togolese flag and was being escorted by a Naal boat led by a senior naval commander.
