The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Tuesday said rogue vessels that are used to steal crude oil in the Niger Delta turn off their Automation Identification System (AIS) to evade detection and tracking by the authorities in the Nigerian waters.
NPA Managing Director, Mohammed Bello-Koko, made the disclosure while fielding questions at the Ministerial Media Briefing anchored by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
While responding to a question on why the authority could do nothing following the recent incident of an oil tanker evading arrest in Nigeria after it carted away illegal crude oil, Bello-Koko said such ships go off the radar and evade arrest because they switch off their onboard automated tracking system that help to locate the vessel’s position and others in the vicinity.
However, he said the NPA had begun the process that would culminate in the procurement of Vessel Tracking Services (VTS) to enable it identify, locate and monitor all vessels in the nation’s waters.
According to him, NPA has been trying to acquire the VTS for about 10 years, saying that a certified consultant has now been identified to take up the process, just as he expressed optimism that the facility can be procured before the end of the current administration.
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