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The Health of Motherland Foundation, HOMEF, has condemned the recent destruction of a vessel loaded with 800,000 barrels of stolen crude oil by a Nigerian military helicopter after the vessel was seized and the crew detained, describing the act as “unacceptable environmental pollution.”
HOMEF Executive Director, Ninmong Bassey while reacting to the manner the vessel was burnt in a statement by HOMEF Media and Communication Lead, Kome Odhomor, regretted that while the Niger Delta burns on account of gas flaring, oil spills and other forms of pollution, the burning of seized oil vessel is adding insult to injury.
He said: “One drop of crude oil contaminates 25 litres of water. Imagine what 800,000 barrels of crude oil would do. It means destruction of fisheries and of livelihoods. It also means directly poisoning our people. It is shocking and unacceptable. HOMEF believes the significance of the bombing of the vessel is the indication to the people that authorities care little about their safety and that of the environment.
“Why would anyone blow up a vessel and dump 800,000 barrels of oil into the environment? If that volume of crude is correct, this must be one of the largest volumes of crude oil spilled in one incident.
“The entire thing seems to have been staged for some unknown purposes. How can security agents bomb a crude oil loaded vessel with Nigerians watching and filming as if they were being entertained. Oil theft is a crime.
“Blowing up a vessel loaded with crude oil is a higher order of malfeasance. The security forces need some trainings on environmental and climate crises. What has played out is sickening on many levels. Economic waste. Ecological assault. Security cannot be a valid reason for blowing up the vessel. We need to know why this was done. And urgently too.
“Considering the impact that the destruction will have on the marine ecosystem and the contribution to the pollution that has plagued the region, government agencies must adopt safe ways of handling rogue vessels, including ways of putting them out of commission.
“Outright destruction of vessels on the high sea is not environmentally acceptable. It is time for the Joint Task Force to begin to work with environmental experts and those who are genuinely concerned about the environment to protect lives and livelihoods.”
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