The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), on Tuesday, discovered illegal operators of an unlicensed petroleum product jetty in the Marina area of Lagos.
DPR made this discovery after a tip-off from an informant. The agency discovered two barges laden with about two million litres of Automated Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel, and three abandoned ships allegedly used by the operators to perpetrate illegal petroleum marketing.
DPR Assistant Director Francis Buraimoh explained that the agency had been monitoring the area, following hints of illegal activities at the Defence Jetty, Marina, which is opposite the busy Apapa Jetty.
One of the barges used for the operation was tagged BC6215, while the three ships were the MTA Amolese, Cape European and Rock Barge.
Two of the suspected operators were arrested who claimed they were working with Millennium Shipping Company.
“For sometime now, we have been monitoring this place. If you come here in the evening or sometime in the afternoon, you will find numerous tankers as you can see here now, loading off-spec products. They are using these barges for the illegal operations. You can see the level of oil spill on the floor,” Buraimoh said.
One of the accused, who claimed to be the Admin Officer of Millennium Shipping, (name withheld) said the place belonged to his company and they accommodate other vessels for maintenance and other services. The agency has however taken a sample of the product to its headquarters for quality test.
The DPR monitoring team, which was led by the Assistant Director, DPR, Products Distribution, Depots and Jetties, Francis Buraimoh, explained that the products could have been stolen from the Niger Delta creeks, where the nation has recorded the highest oil theft in recent times.