PPMC Loses N34bn Through Pipeline Vandalisation
Police arrest 43 suspects
By Mike Oduniyi
The Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) has said it lost over N34 billion in the past three years to various acts of pipeline vandalism in the country.
The Nigeria Police Force, however, said it has arrested over 43 suspected petroleum products pipeline vandals across the country in the last three months.
PPMC Managing Director, Engr. Suleiman Akowe Achimugu who made this known in Abuja, said the company lost a total of 508,788 metric tons of petroleum products amounting to N10.1 billion in year 2000 and another 190,285 metric tons amounting to N3.81 billion in year 2001.
The company, a subsidary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) further lost some 308,725 metric tons amounting to N7.67 billion in year 2002 and 408,391 metric tons amounting to N13.05 billion in year 2003.
The breakdown also showed that a total of 3,389 line breaks were recorded between 1994-2003. The highest line-breaks of 984 were recorded in year 2000. The graph illustration showed a rising trend of line-breaks from 8 in 1994 to a peak of 984 in year 2000. Then a respite in 2001 with 474 line-breaks and upward rise again with 516 line-breaks in 2002 and 779 line-breaks in 2003.
The Managing Director further disclosed that in 2003 alone, Port Harcourt Area that comprised of Rivers, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra and Benue States recorded the highest with 608 line-breaks. Warri Area which comprised of Delta, Edo, and Kogi State followed with 90 line-breaks. Mosimi Area which has Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Kwara States followed with 70 line-breaks while Kaduna Area which comprise of FCT, Kaduna, Kano, Niger and Zamfara States recorded a modest 11 line-breaks. Plateau, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa and Taraba States under Gombe Area did not record any line-break.
Engr. Achimugu in the briefing explained that the after effects of pipeline vandalism includes shutting down of the refineries when refined petroleum products cannot be evacuated due to line-break. He likened the refinery to a human stomach.
His words: "When the stomach is full, we go to toilet and empty our bowel. The same way, if the refined products are not evacuated it means that the refinery will shut down."
Other effects of pipeline vandalism include denial of pipeline flexibility where products can no longer be moved between different axis, loss of lives and properties during incidences of fire outbreaks, environmental pollution in case of spillage, hampering a ntional security when products can no longer get to the desired destination which results in unrest and agitation, effect on national economy through loss of revenue that affects national development, effect on strategic national asset through destruction of pipeline infrastructure and petroleum products scarcity as a result of inability to get products to the consuming public.
The PPMC Managing Director also disclosed that another dimension to acts of pipeline vandalism and products theft includes the forgery of the company's metre tickets and identity cards of some state governments to assist them in moving stolen products in trucks along the road.
In a related development, the Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force, Mr. Chris Olakpe said that the Force has arrested over 43 suspected petroleum products pipeline vandals across the country in the last three months.
According to him, on interrogation, the latest suspects, Godwin Agusi (Driver) and Chidi Nwaokwu (Conductor) nabbed at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Right-of-Way at Km 30.5 along Lokoja-Abaji axis, informed the Police that they were contracted for the illegal job by one Anthony who resides in Tafa Local Government area of Kaduna State for a fee of N250,000.
He disclosed that luck ran out on the them when the members of the Task Force who acted on a tip off, intercepted, arrested and impounded their Oando petroleum product truck with registration No. XXII 7SMK.
The Force PRO further said that a total number of 10 vehicles, a dane gun and the sum of N490,000 were recovered as exhibits under the period in review.
He quoted the Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun as describing the vandalism of oil pipelines as very serious crime as no nation worth its salt can fold its arms and allow it treasure to be destroyed.
He said that the Inspector General of Police had declared that the Force will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the full weight of the law is meted out on these unpatriotic Nigerians.
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