In a bid to a Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta,MSDND, has called on the National Security Adviser,NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, to launch an independent investigation for the cases of oil vessels entrapment along the waterways of the region.
The group also insisted that the investigations must include the recent seizure of crude oil vessels by the personnel of the private security company known as Tantita Security Services Limited.
In a protest letter, signed by the Publicity Secretary of MSDND, Kelvin Orughoe, who noted that the group allege for the entrapment activities along the waterways of the Niger Delta includes frivolous claims of complicity of security agencies in crude oil theft which is capable of causing chaos and breaching the national and economic security of the country.
In their petition, they claimed that, while Nigerians and the world were allegedly deceived by media propaganda and made them to believed that, the private security company Tantita Security Services Limited had in the past few weeks seized two (2) vessels allegedly involved in crude oil theft off Bayelsa waters, they claimed that the vessels were allegedly lured in, and entrapped by officials of Tantita Security Service Limited to score political and media points in their bid to win over the Bayelsa Central Corridor of the proposed multi-million dollars crude oil pipeline surveillance contract.
They also claimed that in order to whittle down the powers and noticeable pressure from the Nigeria Navy against alleged questionable activities of some personnel in the war against illegal bunkering and crude oil theft, the recent petition against the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, by Pelumi Olajengbesi, Mohammed Suleiman, Aisha Waliki, Deji Adeyanju and Ogunwoye Samson was allegedly sponsored and releases to the media.
They also argued that, the seizure of the said vessels and the false allegations made against the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla were conveniently designed to hoodwink the Federal Government.
The group, also claimed that “Upon the conclusion of our clandestine and detailed investigations conducted by major stakeholders from the region, our findings showed a clear attempt to usurp the constitutional powers of the Nigeria Navy and use individuals to cast aspersions on the hard-earned integrity of the Nigeria Security networks including the Nigerian Navy.
The MSDND also stated that “The first accused vessel, MT Kali, which was reportedly apprehended, was allegedly lured to the spot and entrapped by the officials of the private Security Company and the arrested Captain of the Vessel was allegedly called on satellite phone and handed navigational coordinates close to territory for anchoring where it was arrested”, they stated.
Also speaking, the vessel and it’s captain were lure to an isolated location with a promise to load crude oil, but rather they were entrapped and paraded before the world as crude oil thieves. Then, if their claims are true, why was the seized vessel removed from the loading station and taken to Oporoza in Delta state to anchor and conduct the media propaganda? Is Tompolo or Tantita the EFCC, the Police, the DSS, or the investigating agency? Would it not make sense if the said vessel was videoed at the loading station or kept there until daybreak for the world to see rather than taking the vessel to their territory before calling the media.”
On the recent allegations of Corruption and oil bunkering levelled against Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff, the MSDND called on the security agencies and the Nigerian Navy to make urgent arrests and investigate the false and sponsored claims made by these activists and lawyers, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, Esq, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, Comrade Mohammed Suleiman SK, Barrister Aisha Waliki, Esq and Comrade Ogunwoye Samson.
