Senator Ned Nwoko, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, has criticized the military for destroying vessels apprehended for carrying illegal goods and stolen crude oil, alleging that this action is an attempt to conceal crucial evidence related to oil theft.
In a conversation with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, Nwoko emphasized the illogicality of destroying vessels that could serve as vital evidence in criminal cases, unless those responsible for preventing such crimes are somehow complicit and compromised.
Nwoko argued that the destruction of vessels involved in crude oil theft and illegal goods transportation made no sense from a law enforcement perspective.
He stressed that when someone is found in possession of stolen goods, the logical course of action is to seize and document the items, preserving them as evidence.
This evidence can then be presented in court to hold the culprits accountable. However, destroying the vessels only serves to eliminate crucial evidence, suggesting potential complicity within the military ranks.
The senator, who also serves on the Senate Committee for Upstream Petroleum, expressed suspicion that the military’s destruction of seized vessels involved in crude oil theft was motivated by a desire to destroy evidence due to compromises made within their ranks.
He pointed out that loading large commodity vessels with crude oil takes significant time and effort, raising questions about who manages these platforms and who may be involved in the illegal activities.
Nwoko suggested that the sudden wealth accumulation among some personnel in joint task forces indicated possible corruption, leading to their reluctance to allow proper investigation of seized vessels, opting instead to destroy them to prevent the evidence from exposing their complicity.
Nwoko’s allegations raise concerns about potential corruption within law enforcement agencies and the need for a comprehensive investigation to address the issue of oil theft effectively.
NAN
