In Nigeria’s crude capital, a plan to win the war against oil theft
Al Jazeera
Through improved security measures, including gunboats, authorities in Rivers State hope to stop criminals and improve production.
Port Harcourt, Nigeria – At dawn, the dense creeks and swamps of the Niger Delta are enveloped in an eerie silence, which is interrupted only by the intermittent chirping of Herons, a rare water bird found in this part of Nigeria.
Suddenly, in a flash, the water bubbles and convulses, announcing the galloping approach of speedboats.
The boats usually carry heavily armed militiamen, often clad in work overalls, suggesting they are technicians, said Tonye Francis, who lives in the oil-producing Ogu-Bolo community in Rivers State that’s been in the shadow of an oil conflict for years.
Also in the boats are several dozen empty mini-drums with hoses attached to the bases, that get connected to a nearby oil pipeline after it has been professionally ruptured, the young man told Al Jazeera.
In no time, the mini-drums get filled with crude oil and loaded into barges. The barges, escorted by speedboats, then make their way out of the inlet – crisscrossing other dense creeks and swamps that dot the area – heading in the direction of a waiting foreign vessel, nautical miles away.
