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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Traditional Rulers and Chiefs from the nine states of the Niger Delta region have sent a strongly worded petition to President Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged illegal arrest of Tantita’s Director of Technical Operations, Capt. Warredi Inisouh, by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, under the aegis of the Coalition of Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum, described the arrest of Capt Inisouh as illegal and part of the plot e to frustrate the on-going fight against crude oil theft in the region.
The petition signed by Dr Akpan O. Essien, Chief Williams Erepatei, Mr Adeleke S. Olubunmi, Mr James Ipalibo and Dr. Mrs. Ejiro P. Obohvie called for the urgent release of Capt Inisouh from the custody of the EFCC, and for an inter-agency probe to be instituted to unravel those sabotaging the war against oil theft from within EFCC.
CNDSF which insisted that Capt Inisouh was being held on trumped charges, said he is seen as the “intelligence and technical arrowhead that has delivered devastating and paralysing incisions into the criminal and powerful networks of oil thieves in the Niger Delta, ripping the federal government of Nigeria of much needed revenue.”
The group which disclosed that Capt Inisouh was invited by the EFCC while almost wrapping up investigation into a Vessel caught with stolen crude oil in Port Harcourt, River State, declared that oil theft must end in the Niger Delta region.
The petition read in part, “The illegal oil theft cartel cannot be allowed to go for Nigeria’s jugular, the economic reforms being carried out across board by the federal government is in danger of collapsing if the fight against oil thieves fail, because the much needed revenue will come from the oil and gas sector, and as evidenced by the success of High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, and his Tantita Security Surveillance outfit in just four months to turn around the ugly narrative of the perennial vandalisation of pipeline infrastructure and oil theft and the consequent increase of national revenue.”
“The targeted reforms and repositioning of the oil and gas sector for profit and sustainability by the Mele Kyari led NNPCL would surely become the first victim of these dastardly economic saboteurs, where if NNPCL fails, Nigeria would fall flat on its face as the nation is already in great economic turmoil and just when it seems the prospect are beginning to look brighter through the combined work of the President, the Mele Kyari led NNPCL, Tantita Security Surveillance and the joint military task, those bent on keeping 200 million Nigerians down and perilously pushing the nation towards anarchy are at it again.”
“The incoming government after the presidential elections will severely lack the needed resources to function if this great task is sabotage from within by state actors. President Muhammadu Buhari should tame the EFCC to function within the confines of the law and legality.
