The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Muhammed Bello-Koko has revealed that vessels used to steal crude oil switch off their Automation Identification System (ATS) to avoid being detected by the authorities in Nigerian waters.
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The NPA Boss on Tuesday while responding to questions from journalists at the Ministerial Media Briefing anchored by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, claimed that vessels used to steal crude oil in the Niger Delta turn off their ATS to evade detection and tracking by the authorities in the Nigerian waters.
According to Bello-Koko, “such ships go off the radar and cannot be arrested because they switch off their onboard automated tracking system that help to locate the vessel’s position and others in the vicinity.”
Bello-Koko explained that the NPA is currently working on a process that would culminate in the purchase of Vessel Tracking Services (VTS) to enable it to identify, locate and monitor all vessels in the nation’s waters.
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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.
