Oil Theft: Direct Military To Blow Up Vessels With Their Crew Inside – Retired Admiral Advises Tinubu

A retired Admiral in the Nigerian Navy who manned the maritime sector and witnessed the impunity with which the crude oil thieves operated has advised President Bola Tinubu to blow up any vessel used in stealing crude oil.

The admiral insisted that oil vessels should be blown up with the crew inside.

Speaking to Vanguard, the retired naval officer said if Tinubu can direct the military to blow up the ships it would put an immediate end to oil theft in Nigeria.

He said, “Direct the military to blow up any ship used in stealing our crude oil, sink the ship with its crew, do so two or three times and see if crude oil theft will not be a thing of the past in Nigeria.

“Government should be bold enough if it wants to stop this thing, by declaring illegal oil bunkering activities as a war against Nigeria and that all security agencies should attack that vessel with whatever resource they have on board.

“If I had my way, we should empower security agencies to attack and destroy any vessel, when I say vessel, I mean any floating object, any vessel that is capable of floating and being used for transportation of any contraband, any crude oil, anything concerning our mineral resources, they should take it as an enemy vessel and sink it. They should attack it, including everybody inside, they should waste all.

”By the time we do it two or three times, ships will stop coming into Nigeria to steal our oil, and all the people in the creek will stop work because there will be nobody to load from them because they cannot enter our waters again”.

The Admiral said his suggestion was backed by his knowledge of the impunity with which the oil thieves operate because many top Nigerians are involved in the illicit business.

He said that any government without the strong political will to stop the menace would end up merely mouthing their intention without achieving results as had always been the case with past governments.