•••SAY State Loses 9m litres to Oil Theft Daily
By Kamsi Anayo
Over 9 million litres of petroleum products are lost on daily bases to the activities of Oil thieves in communities in Anambra state .
This illegal exploration of oil has been on in the last three years by two oil firms under the noses of government without recourse to the stipulated Federal government approval.
The situation is worsened by the role of the unknown gunmen who have been extorting huge sums of money from the companies under the guise of giving them protection.
Recently, the proactive measures by the affected communities and the Anambra Ministry of Homeland Matters have been able to dislodge several camps of the gunmen.
The affected communities of Ogwuanocha , Ogwuikpele , Umunankwo and Osamalla have been lamenting the level of environmental degradation as a result of the illegal operations by the thieves.
According to them, aquatic lives have been drastically affected while farm lands have also been polluted in the process.
A community leader in the area Prince Chris Okwuosa said, “The oil thieves have been there for over three years and they do not have the government backing to take our oil away and government appears not to be aware of this.
“Everyday over 20 trucks that carry 45,000 litres of oil products each come to Ogwuikpele and Ogwuanocha to steal our oil and they pass through Umunankwo and Osamalla and use barges to carry those products through the water ways of Ogakuba and Ochuche to those doing bunkering and mini refineries in Oguta in Imo state.
To this end the communities have appealed to both the state and federal governments to arrest the situation and bring the culprits to book.
In what appears to be a bold step in checkmating the activities of the oil thieves, the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has urged the Nigerian Navy and other security sister organizations to join forces with his government to stop the sabotage of the nation’s economy.
Soludo spoke when the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia on Friday.
While commending the Navy for their collaborations with other security agencies, he said that there is increased need for Naval presence in the State because of the oil theft and bunkering going on at the Ogwuikpele area of the state.
“It has become an existential threat in the South east, but with your strategic appointment, there is this voice, to uproot the criminals and profile them for who they are.
“We deserve to have a liveable and prosperous Anambra state”, Soludo said.
The governor praised the Navy and indeed, all security agencies operating in the state, for their sacrifices.
Speaking earlier, Vice Admiral Ogalla recalled that the Naval Outpost in Onitsha was established with assistance from the state government, assuring that they will redouble their efforts to do more to ensure that peace returns to the region.
He decried the sit-at-home directive and the activities of criminal gangs describing it as an aberration which draws the region backwards.
