According to Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, rogue ships stealing crude oil in Nigerian seas avoid detection by turning off their Automatic Identification System (AIS).
On Tuesday in Abuja, Koko spoke to State House correspondents, explaining that such ships elude arrest by turning off their onboard automatic identification system, which shows the vessel’s presence nearby.
He stated that the authority lacks the necessary capability to identify their starting point or ending point.
Speaking in light of a recent incident in which an oil tanker evaded capture in Nigeria after illegally removing crude oil, Koko stated that the NPA is currently in the process of acquiring the Vessel Tracking Service (VTS) technology to allow it to recognize, locate, and keep track of all vessels in the country’s waters.
He claimed that the agency has just found a certified consultant and has been working with the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas (NLNG) Company to assist with vital detection while seeking to obtain the VTS for roughly ten years.
He added that the technology would be acquired before President Muhammadu Buhari’s term in office ended.
Recent shocking allegations of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region came from Tompolo’s company. According to him, since the effort to stop oil theft on the waterways of Delta and Bayelsa states started, roughly 58 illegal oil points have been found.