Topic: Should illegal stealing of crude oil be discarded? (Read 294 times)

The truth is that the bulk of the stealing of crude is done by the people in government in connection with the security forces.  The petty theives they are chasing in the creeks of Niger Delta rarely steal 10% of the overall stolen crude. Now seeing that the people who are supposed to protect the country's treasure are those stealing it, makes the situation helpless.
In summary, nothing can be done about stolen crude unless we have a real change of government.

Illegal refineries by citizens of Nigeria I think its good for the Illegal refineries to continue, because in nigeria many states of nigeria doesn't have crude oil and out of 36 states its only 8 states or 9 states that have crude and still their is no development in all those states in nigeria.

Again we have three regions in south groups in nigeria South East, South South  and South West, in northern part of nigeria that is how they have the north, south and west even Eastern part of North, but northern the groups doesn't have oil but they are the one benefiting from oil in nigeria both their political positions and development of their environment, why in south south is where crude is being drained but no much development in such area.

The money nigeria gained from selling of crude oil per annual it can be use to make sure that they have eliminate the rate of unemployment in nigeria but they are using it for their selfish interests which is not good, so many Illegal refineries operators is being built and managed by graduates because of unemployment rate in nigeria, so many tricycles riders is graduates because their is no provision of employment.

Why I support illegal refineries is that, those citizens who is into illegal refining of crude oil knows exactly what they want and secondly they are using to feed their old parents and their own family also, instead of stealing publicly its better for them to make use of oils that spills in their environment to money, when you go close to communities involved for oil spillage you will understand that so many people in nigeria is living a hazardous live in their environment because of oil spillage and after spillage government will not come to sanitize the environment for her people to dwell in good conditions

I don't want to tok too much because from the topic to some of the comments just dey pissed me off. I don't know if the op and the comments I am seeing in this thread are from the core Niger Delta. This thread will make to create a thread on the Niger Delta. I don't want to argue here because if I start I will create drama in this thread. This are the things I don't want to open my two ears hear. First of all, Op I will not thank you for againsting the local production of fuel in the Niger Delta. You call it illegal and other comments also supported your idea of illegal. Jesus Christ where should I start from? Please I will ask anyone that interested to know to go and read "Peace and Conflict in Niger Delta" by Prof. Ambili Etekpe from Niger Delta University. There you will learn a lot. But before then, let highlight some of the historical background of the crude refinery. The first Oil block was found on  January 15th Sunday in 1956 by Shell. No Niger Deltan was employed in the company. Niger Deltans are fishermen and women which means they can swim very well but I can still vividly remember that shell company was bringing Yorubas and Hausas to come and learn swimming and employed them, and by then we were small so we didn't know what they were doing. And later years crude oil was discovered in other parts of the country yet all the oil blocks were/are own by Yorubas and Hausas. So in the Abacha 1 Million man match which the Niger Delta Youth was invited to a feast at Abuja that anger the youth to return to the Niger Delta and they went straight to the Creeks and start di militia process which also resulted to Asari fuel (Bunkery). My community produce crude oil but we sleep in darkness. Must we experience what we read from books and movies? Shell has been degrading the Niger Delta soil and spoiling the rivers, farm lands and none of you say anything because it is not from your area. We have water but there is no water to drink in the Niger Delta. The only thing I am against the Bunkery is the damaging of the soil and land but I believe better days are coming they will upgrade. Remember those boys that started this Bunkery were uneducated once. And if this Bunkery can bring Nigeria economy to zero I will be happy because even at the moment I am not seeing any good thing from it. Op and other supporters do you ask yourselves why Agge deepsea port and Port Harcourt Sea port are not working?  As I said, I don't want to tok plenty because only my comment go reach 5 pages. Please allow those boys to do their work that what the government want it so let it be. Me I no dey do am but those who can do to survive let them do it. That also help di boys in the region. This will make to create threads on Niger Delta Issues. There is nothing like illegal here because federal government is legally collecting the crude oil from the region with compensation to the local dwellers and if the local people ask them for peanut to survive since their way survival has been destroyed they would use federal might to threaten them. Look at Ogoni clean up for how many years now. See make una be careful   we need intellectual Militants in the Region which PEN will be the weapon.

There is no any reason that is going to justify any illegal activity, what is a crime will remain a crime, the government is not stupid, they know what they are doing, they understand the process better than a layman who prefer to sabotage government resources for their own gain. Why go ahead to steal from the government when you know that it is even risky to even take your life, there are army and trained personnel that are authorized to shoot and kill any oil bunker that is found stealing the crude oil.


There is repercussion to every bad thing and that is why third law of physics is applicable to anything in life, there is consequences for every action. Stealing from the government and be using the word "affordable" is criminal. The crude oil they steal from the government and refined locally are not up to standard, they will knock your cars and machines faster than you think because they don't have good octane numbers. Have you ever imagine buying a diesel and found out that it contain some quantities of gel and gasoline, what do you think is going to happen to your engines and mechanical part that are exposed to this fake products, they will kill the economy and not only that, they will destroy market for the real available products that the government is importing to the country.

The government has every right to stop them, most of the money they have from this oil are in excess and if not care is not taken, they can be used to form a parallel government, the government is already dealing with the militants, Biafra, Bandit, and Boko haram, they can sit and watch people make illegal money to develop another group of terror group in his country, sometimes we need to be mindful of the things we wish for or want to see.

See eh, no be like say I dey against our youths being innovative o, but you feel say if say government no make this fuel costly, Dem go reason am? Why we go care so less for our lives just because we wan show how resourceful we dey.
Op know say the act of stealing bad but e come be like say him dey advocate make e no dey stopped.

 Government no dey try for how dem dey leave their citizens with little to no option when e come to creation of jobs, so them go gats find any means.
But in another angle, Some persons wey dey involved in these things believe say dis nah only a means to achieving a greater goal. Some get for mind to learn skills but as financial support no dey, e fit push them into such things.

Although illegal refining of crude oil is bad and shouldn't be encouraged, the fact that our youth can locally refine our oil with locally available resources shows how resourceful our youth can become if they are properly empowered.

The best the government could have done would have been to pick those youth, send them out for proper training, and work on how to depend on our local manpower for the refining of our local crude resources.

This matter de seriously vex me when I see the number of youth when de die for this bunker business on a daily and the only thing our leaders can think of is to collect huge settlement from these guys and when these guys don't settle them they burn up their stuff leaving so many of them very frustrated.

Nija na country sha.

So what is stealing of crude oil called, if it is not part of social crime or a criminal act  . It is our country resources and no one has the right to go and steal the property of a country.

The worst of it all, is that this hustle is very risky and it is a 50-50 chance of surviving. Why I said so is because, there can be invasion of the point by JTF or Civil defense and some times, it use to be shoot aside.

Another risk is that there can be explosion at the point and it will lead to unwanted injuries and death. The fact remains that this type of hustle is illegal and deadly and if you are caught, you can go to jail for it.

This is why I wouldn't encourage anyone to be part of such act because the risk is higher than the profit.

Lol, person say op don do bunkery before, for my own opinion ehhn, if no be say this business dey risky between life and death anything can happen, and this bunkery of a thing dey affect children health and e no dey comfortable for people wey dey stay for that area, if no be for this two reason I support this bunkery 100% Because I don reason this matter tire, only the government na get control over this oil and no effort to show say na country wey dey produce oil, just nothing. If government create jobs for people wey dey involve for this bunkery nobody go steal the oil again because the work dey risky, just like wetin you talk say this illegal business don make some criminals to stop involving in social crimes and na true, sometimes wetin this boys dey find na money.

I get your points man and even me self I no support am, I just talk am the way I been talk am from my own side.
The states economy dey very hard and e good make pipo work to do that them no go steal or depend on pipos things, like if person no give them, them no go fit survive and I still see am say hunger no go fit make man chop stone and nah true talk be that, so even me self I no support am say person go steal because of say e no get food for plate.
As long as say person get hands and legs you the person go fit work then get paid so that e go fit dey provide food for em table, at all at all nai bad pass, so make those jobless youths way no get jobs but to dey steal pipo things use feed make them go find something good to do, I totally support watin you talk @Obari, you talk true talk.

Stealing na stealing irrespective  of the purpose  for stealing and hope you know say if we pardon person because of hunger,  then every thief go use that as a justifiable reason and excuse to steal continuously which is wrong.  I also understand  the state of the economy  but anybody wey steal na thief and I remember when nothing been dey my side and how I take survive those period even to thr extend of cleaning people houses not for money this time but for a plate of food and you fit even go meet people weh dey steal fast food or mama put and request to wash plate for food bjt I'm sure most of the people wey dey steal no fit do am because dem get pride and I go tell you today say na pride dey make alot of people steal for no just reason.

Make person no look.me.bad eye based on wetin I talk bjt I just have to spit out the truth and let it set me free.

You are right to some extent but I don't think stealing should be considered in any form be it as a result of hunger or not because sometimes when you pardon people who still as a result of hunger, others will want to copy that act and still then when they're caught they will still tell you it was as a result of hunger. And in that case you conscience won't allow you to be sentimental since you've already pardoned the first person so definitely you have to pardon others as well.

The area I'm emphasizing on is the area of stealing from the government because since they don't want to make life comfortable for the common man, they should also allow them do the same thing they've been doing for long because this economic sabotage is being championed by some top government officials so they don't want the common man to do what they do or know what they know so that's the perspective I'm talking about

You dey on point sha but for me, anybody way steal because of hunger should be considered, like now way our country hard and no good job for the state, even pipo way do there masters self dey hunger then what about person way no go at all because of say no money to go the school.
I dey try mean say nah condition nai dey make crawfish dey bend, so make we also dey consider only those way dey seal because of hunger, I no dey try talk say e good ooo but if nah hungry cause am, me I go just do the little way I go fit do, just to help, but when the person do that same thing for the second time, no need to help again because e don turn to em habit.
This our government own be say them no dey do am because of hunger but them dey do an because them won to wicked the good citizens like us, so for there own matter, we no supposed to consider ram as hunger.

The said criminals happens to had left related criminal activities but has got into illegal activities. Isn't that still a criminal activities?
As long it is an illegal and its risky is not capitalized on losing its funds but lives on the activity then it should be a banned (no go area) despites how lucrative or what affordable roles it places on the societies.

Imagine how you would get into a business that would stake your life a decision or 50/50 and you the consumer purchasing what could tend to also stake lives 50/50 during consumption
Imagine about how the process of the illegal refineries has the possessions of pollution the areas that tends to have negative effects on humans health, the farms and the reactions to the atmosphere.

My dear, it is illegal just as you said and so also a risky of lives and properties just as elaborated. So,it should be a keep off.

There are other means to creat source of wealths or incomes.
We should thank God the dubious govt never placed Crypto trading an illegal otherwise we all the Bitcoineers would be on illegal indulgement otherwise it is placed on suspense specifically on the government sectors.

So myself of though, the same reasons of it risky and  negative effects to the natures is the primary reasons why it is declared illegal but I would be in support of the federal and state levels of government could support this illegal refineries (bunkeries ) with the amenities to assure humans safetyness and of course eliminating other related disastrous occurrences.
This is my thoughts on  how this can be viable to reliably exist.
This alone boosts the BTC Investors in the country to trade without a fear of violating the laws of the nation so.... Please lets learn to live by the rules and laws abidments and doing things of legalities not of illegals.

The government is the cause of all this illegal activity  and it will keep on going on. Crude oil is one of the country's biggest natural resources that generate good revenues for the nature, with this resources people are still jobless and the politicians they share money within themselves,  since the government no they do right things people will try by all means to do illegal things to make money on their own, no matter how strong the government is, the government no fit stop illegal business for the country until they begin to do things the right way so that the people go believe in them and to obey the  laws.

Incase you still they think if the illegal refinery suppose they allowed or not, try do small search for google, just use the keyword death caused by illegal refinery in River state just rivers state alone oooh, make you see news them way go pop up, one nah the one way happen just 5 Abi 6 days ago for Emohua local government just check this Google search

Some people don carry the illega refinery become better people for life, some don use am train children some they also use am help few poor people but those ones no justify bad to come they good, the death rate way they come as result of that thing too plenty, most of them way also they inside am and way they control those illegal camps nah terrorist dem, dem no they carry empty hand enter than bus, if fire no kill person fight they kill person violence they always come board, diz one nah aside the damage way dem they cause for the environment, dark snow Abi Watin dem they call am self, eh get the time way for our city Pitakwa (Port harcourt) wen u sleep wake up, try touch your mirror or anything way get glass nah so so black black dust every where.

Abeg make I no talk plenty, the truth be say diz thing no even reach for debate nothing way too good way they come out from bunkry make eh just end, eh they promote crime rate and death, no this thing no be argument to debate on.

I think you're right to some extent because of the risk and the hazards that are involved in the process of refining this crudes and the hazards affect the masses because in the course of a fire outrage it will really affect a large number of people

 Op, make I ask you.. should illegal stealing of crude oil be stopped? Guy no matter how you wan use English put am, thief nah thief. Yes I know say tins hard and man gats hustle for him daily bread but mehn, you sopoz know say that nah risky business and e dey also harmful to the end users. I don hear of houses dey catch fire cause of adulterated kerosene and the rest.
 Contri bad no mean say we go folo join hand increase am. We dey also hear of how people dey lose their life for this kind waka yet pipo still dey join body.

On this subject, the concern has been raised several times that the government should give license to these local refineries, but that their refining activities would be regulated to avoid the sale and consumption of fake crude.
The idea was good as its purpose is to allow the product be common thereby reducing monopoly and reducing its price.
Until we have a government that is not after their own pockets, monopoly, crude oil theft and pipe vandalism may keep being issues for every sitting government to combat.

All this one wey ona dey speak for here na grammar. Okada man wey know the real price of fuel for filling station, know the difference. And dey go for the cheaper one's. The economy has humbled everybody to an extent that we choose darkness over light because we see the dark way now as light because of the way the economy is.

The domestic refining of crude is highly disastrous and harzadious to helth, and it causes environmental pollution.
Sometimes I don't blame the youths who are into it,  because the government are swimming in crude money and leavinng the masses to die in outhrech poverty. And these catslys to a big problem.

One thing I will like you all to know is that. the refining of illigal crude has been in existence before some of us were burn, and it can not be stopped.. because it has Taproot and branches. Many top political official are benefiting from it, how do you expect it to stop? It's easy to say Dan done.

Why should we allow them to continue vandalizing our country’s natural resources?
Is it not a crime, and it is also very risky; if the government allow them to keep vandalizing our natural resources then the country’s economy will be affected just as it has affected it already and people will be losing their lives through such act and if the death rate increases the community will blame the government for not taking proper measures.

How dose this make availability of petroleum products?
Although I don’t know the process they undergo but I am very sure they will waste so many useful contents in the crude because they are centered in some specific outer coke and I am sure the rest will be waste.

The government need to understand these people and bring a permanent solution to this problem because this is really affecting the country’s economy in general.

The illegal refining of crude out is a big criminal act whic is a crime on its own, I don’t see any reason why government just because of this hardship will allow its citizens to be committing crimes just ease the pressure.

We citizens need to understand the whole situation and pray for this hardship to be over but committing crime is not the solution.

Haha you're funny though, I wonder how people are even copping staying and enduring the heat coming out from the fire, the risk involve is very high and so many persons has lost there life's all in the name of illegal refining of crude, the problem is that people are not even scared of the danger it posses on them.

My brother for no reason should stealing be tolerated because me personally dey deal with anybody wey thief for the sake of hunger and the country isn't exempted  in this.
Illegal refining of petroleum product is very risky and that's the more reason why it should be kicked against and since it's  the duty of the government to protect  the lives and properties of it's citizen, then I'm sure they wouldn't let people refine oil illegally not for any reason.

Op e come be like say you been don do bunkering before or them.scatter una bunker but whatever the matter be abeg no ever involve  for that business especially  for the aide wey them dey cook the oil, that thing no ne wetin to behold.

illegal stealing of crude oil should never be allowed because it could bring a danger or environmental hazard to the people, I could remember vividly when the illegal refining was serious at the environment I domiciled people were always sick of malaria because of the black suits caused by the illegal refining of crude and those days we hardly spray a white clothes outside without being painted by black suits but perhaps I view illegal refining of crude as good and bad, the good part of it is that it reduces the rate of terrorism were as most terrorists people channels there attention to crude refining, also illegal refining of crude is bad because of the threat it posses on our environment also with there local knowledge and lack of refining equipments it could seriously affect the refining process were as crude will fail to undergo a due process of refining which could results the crude not properly separated as such posses a great danger if being used.

Over the years the country have been experiencing economic sabotage and bringing to book culprits who are involved in this act and I begin to say that the nature with which this perpetrators goes through during this act is even very complex and risky and most government officials have been even using this medium to operate and nothing is being done to them so why not they leave others alone to do theirs knowing that they risk even losing their lives in this quest.


And even though they are not refined to the best standards but it also helps to make petroleum products more available and affordable to the public.

I believe that since our government are not ready to make things easy for her citizen, they should also allow them to develop any idea of easing the tension and hardship of the masses. And again this illegal refining of petroleum products have made some criminals to stop involving in social crimes and be committed to making money using this method. Please what are your takes on this