Oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, sea piracy and other criminality in the maritime sector can only be tackled through multi- agency approaches, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said.
To this end, the anti-graft agency, says collaboration between the Commission and the Nigerian Navy remain the most important means of tackling the menace of illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
Port Harcourt Zonal Head of EFCC, Aliyu Naibi, said this in Port Harcourt, while delivering a lecture to students and staff of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, who came on a study tour of the agency.
Naibi speaking on Optimizing Multi- Agency Collaboration Towards Enhancing Nigerian Navy Maritime Security Operations, said the collaboration between EFCC and the Navy has yielded several convictions.
He anounced that many cases of illegal oil bunkering were currently at various stages of prosecution in different law courts.
“Every security agency in the South-South has its distinctive competences and comparative advantages.
“As a Commission, we are alive to these realities and open to collaboration, partnership and synergy with all sister agencies to achieve mutually beneficial objectives.
“I want to assure the Naval authorities and visiting students that the EFCC would continue to respect and reinforce mutual cooperation with all security agencies in the maritime domain for our mutual benefits,” he said.
Responding, the Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Air Vice Marshall Ebenezer Olayinka Alade, commended the synergy between the EFCC and Navy in the fight against illegal oil bunkering.
Alade, however, expressed worries over the plea bargain arrangements for suspects of illegal oil bunkering.