In the face of the big allegations of oil theft going on in Nigeria, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko has clarified that rogue vessels engaged in crude oil theft on Nigerian waters often go undetected because they turn off their Automatic Identification System (AIS). 

Koko made this claim while briefing State House correspondents on Tuesday in Abuja. He asserted hat such ships have mastered how to evade arrest because they switch off their onboard automated identification system which displays the vessel’s position in the vicinity.

He pointed out that the authority does not have the required technology to detect their origin or destination.

Speaking on the heels of a recent incident where an oil tanker evaded arrest in Nigeria after illegally lifting crude oil, Koko pointed out that the NPA is now in the process of procuring the technology called the Vessel Tracking Service (VTS) to enable it to identify, locate and monitor all vessels in the nation’s waters.