Following the spate of crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism racketeering, human, drugs and arms smuggling, illegal fishing, sea piracy, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare open a National Conference on Organized Crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.

Aside declaring open the conference, the President will also flag-off the construction of a Centre of Excellence and a 100 Bed Specialist Hospital, among other projects by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, all on Friday, April 28, 2023 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The conference, which is being organized by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) is organizing the conference in partnership with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Resilience Fund, Austria, will also witness the launch of the Network on Organized Crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea (NOCINAG).

Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Fyneface Dumnamene said NOCINAG will be a regional platform that contributes to the fight against organized crime in the Gulf of Guinea thus making Nigeria, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe to be more proactive in the fight against transnational crimes.

Fyneface listed organized transnational crimes in the Gulf of Guinea region to include pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refining, illegal bunkering, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, racketeering, human trafficking, drugs and arms smuggling, illegal fishing, sea piracy and illegal logging.

He further explained that the conference was aimed at facilitating a collaborative local, national and regional solution to the menace of organized crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.

“The conference is imperative to Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea as it brings together critical national and international stakeholders from the security circle, government agencies, oil companies, policymakers, university circles, members of diplomatic community,  private sector, the media, civil society organizations and host communities among others to brainstorm on strategic ways of collaborating, supporting and working with governments and security formations in tackling organized crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea for safer societies.

“Apart from President Muhammadu Buhari, some of the critical stakeholders also invited to the conference include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; Commandant General of NSCDC, Ahmed Audi; Coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Barry Ndiomu, Rtd.; Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.

“Others include National Security Adviser, HYPREP Project Coordinator, Comptroller General of Customs, Director General of NAPTIP, Managing Directors of indigenous/multinational oil companies (SPDC, NOAC/Eni, Halliburton, NLNG, Total E&E Ltd, etc.), Heads of NOA, NDLEA, NDDC, EFCC, NCDMB, DSS, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Correctional Service, NNPC Ltd, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Petroleum Resources, ECOWAS, Gulf of Guinea Commission, etc.

“Nigeria is one of the countries in the Gulf of Guinea facing challenges associated with organized domestic and transnational crimes. These organized crimes manifest in the form of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refining, illegal bunkering, kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, racketeering, cybercrimes, human trafficking, drugs/arms smuggling; Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Gulf of Guinea, sea pirates, other fraudulent activities and environmental crimes including illegal logging.”

The YEAC Nigeria Executive Director said “the Conference is aimed at facilitating a collaborative local, national and regional solution to the problem of organized crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.”