Aiteo terminates security surveillance contracts over ‘fraud, criminal activities’

Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO) says it has terminated the company’s contract with Amotoi Global Services, a surveillance security provider.

Aiteo is the operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited/Aiteo joint venture (JV) on oil mining lease (OML) 29.

In a statement on Monday, Victor Okoronkwo, group managing director of AEEPCO, said the company also ended its contracts with other surveillance security providers.

A pipeline surveillance operation had uncovered illegal oil bunkering camps in Bayelsa state, with identity cards belonging to a pipeline security subcontractor to AEEPCO found at the site.

Giving updates, AEEPCO notified relevant government bodies, law enforcement agencies, and relevant third parties in the oil industry that it had severed ties with subcontractors over several illegalities. 

Aiteo said it terminated its contracts with Clement Amunaboye (trading under the name and style of Amotoi Global Services Ltd), Obiene Obiene (known as Organiser), Thomas Livingstone, and Christopher Enu.

According to the company, the action was taken following confirmation of the occurrence of various damaging nefarious activities that have compromised their operations, “constituting grave safety violations, manifesting high fraud, and injurious criminal activity”.

AEEPCO said other related violations include gross negligence and the unacceptable cumulative exposure of its assets and business, perpetrated by the “within-named entities and individual security contractor and service providers”.

“Accordingly, any/all relationships/transactions with them, whether jointly or severally, purportedly on our behalf, cease forthwith,” AEEPCO said.

“Any further involvement with these entities or individuals ostensibly pertaining to our company is hereby disclaimed.”

Okoronkwo said for years, the company and its stakeholders have “borne the worst impact of the consequences of crude theft”.

“Facilities vandalisation, crude trafficking culminating not only in substantial financial losses but causing severe disruption to our operations,” he said

“Despite the painful price we have had to pay, it is particularly galling to discover that we have been undermined by the entities or individuals who are supposed to secure our facilities and output.”

Okoronkwo said this shows the severe decay and problem faced by producers, calling for urgent escalation and implementation of corrective measures.