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EFCC boss warns NUPENG drivers against petroleum products diversion

By: Admin

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,

EFCC, Ibrahim Magu has warned Petroleum Tanker Drivers of the Nigeria

Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers( NUPENG) in the Niger Delta

area,  to steer clear of products diversion and collusion with illegal

oil bunkerers.

He gave the warning on Monday, April 29, 2019 through the Port

Harcourt’s Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, when

Executives of Petroleum Tanker Drivers of NUPENG paid him a Courtesy

Visit.

According to him, tanker drivers are increasingly getting involved in

illegal oil bunkering crimes through product diversions and carriage of

illegal petroleum products.

“Your members are being used for illegal diversion of products. Your

organization is protecting criminals from being arrested and this is

worrisome. Your organization, NUPENG is known for comradeship, not

collusion. Right now, we have over 500 Trucks in our custody for

investigation and possible prosecution on illegal oil bunkering. This is

not good enough. You must desist from this practice”, he said.

Magu charged the drivers to come forward with modalities of tackling

illegal movements of their trucks in order to stem the tide of daily

arrests.

“You can come up with how to monitor movements of your trucks. You can

look into tracking of your trucks. It is obvious that those illegal oil

bunkers refining illegal products are in business because they are sure

that your members are available to convey the products”, he said.

He also tasked the drivers to key into the whistle blowing policy of the

government by offering useful information to the EFCC on the activities

of drivers suspected to be fraudulent.

In his response, Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Comrade

Ezenwa Kingsley, expressed appreciation to the EFCC for the visit. He

explained that NUPENG had never supported any of its members involved in

products diversion or collusion with illegal oil bunkers.

“In all our meetings, we have a policy that the union can never cover up

or associate with anyone caught in any illegality.  We made billboards

of culprits of product diversion. We have a Task Force checking any form

of infraction by our members.  Once you are caught, we will bring you

out”, he said. Another member of the delegation to the EFCC, Comrade

Moses Benibo said that his union was becoming helpless over the

activities of the rouge drivers because ” there are big shots involved

in the business of products diversion and our lives could be at risk if

we tackle them on our own”.

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