Joint Task Force: Are they part of the oil theft cartel in the Niger Delta?

Okonjo-Iweala. Diezzani and President Jonathan

Members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) stationed in the Niger Delta to fight the illegal activities of oil thieves, have been identified as part of the oil theft cartel in a report that details the complex activities of the economic saboteurs.

The report, published by Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) in October, but which THISDAY accessed online Thursday, accused top military officials and others of colluding with the oil thieves for pecuniary considerations.

The report was based on 12 weeks of field research by a team of researchers who visited nine illegal refining operations in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States and supplemented with 120 key informants' interviews with oil companies, government representatives and members of civil society groups.

JTF, Operation Restore Hope, which was formed to tackle the militancy in the Niger Delta was rechristened Operation Pulo Shield in 2012 following the reduction in militancy in the area in the aftermath of the amnesty policy of the federal government that brought out thousands of the militants from creeks. The report estimated that Nigeria is losing about 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily to the oil thieves and going by the computation by Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC), Nigeria loses $6 billion annually to oil theft.

It noted that a major portion of the stolen crude oil is sold internationally, but about 25 percent is kept back in the Niger Delta for refining and consumption.

According to the report, at the apex of the oil theft chain is the tapping point, the most lucrative part of the business chain, in which some high JTF officers own shares alongside technicians and couriers. "This research suggests that a relatively small number of senior officers must have criminal ties to the tap point owners, unions and camps managers, as this is where most profits are made," the report observed.

In addition, the report also noted the involvement of junior officers in the low earning segments of the business: "Because of the relatively small size of protection payments for vessels, it is likely they leave other lower ranking officers to share the relatively small 'transportation taxes' from distributor vessels as a supplement to their official wages.

"A consortium typically made up of at least three key parties (security, technical capacity and operational access) own each tap point. During the tapping process, the JTF ensures the surrounding waterways are clear so workers can install the tap without disturbance," it said.