Joe Effiong, Uyo

Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) South South Petroleum Monitoring Committee, John Okorosa, has urged security agencies to work with its National Anti-petroleum Crime Committee, to tackle petroleum crimes.  

Okorosa, who made the call during the inauguration of anti-petroleum crime office in Oron, Akwa Ibom, last weekend, said with the office now located on Azikiwe Street, Oron, it would help in curbing such crimes as vandalism, smuggling, adulteration and others usually perpetrated in the down stream of the petroleum industry.

“Henceforth, it s not going to be business as usual for perpetrators of petroleum crimes in Akwa Ibom State, because we have finally come to assist all relevant security agencies to put a stop to the activities of petroleum vandals, smuggling, adulteration and other petroleum crimes within the South South coastal waterways in the state,” Okorosa said.

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He called on the petroleum crime fighting committee members, headed by Sunday Ekwai, not to compromise and betray the confidence reposed in them by the Federal Government through IPMAN, but to work and ensure total eradication of adulterated products in the state.

In his response, Ekwai said they would live up to the mandate given to them as they were familiar with the waterways of the coastal region in which most of the petroleum crimes were being committed, adding that the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom has shown his readiness to assist IPMAN in the performance of its duties.

“The recent closure of land borders in Nigeria is a good development because petroleum products were being smuggled out of the country to neighbouring countries, we will assist law enforcement agencies in combating the menace of petroleum crimes in Akwa Ibom State,”he said.

Ekwai noted that the waterways of Akwa Ibom were porous and aiding pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering because of its border with other states and the Republic of Cameroon, stressing that his team will ferret out all vandals from the creeks.