EFCC Seals Off Alleged Fraudulent Offshore Safety Training Centre Belonging To Opeans Nigeria Limited In Warri, Delta State.

The sealed off office building of Opeans Nig. Ltd.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has sealed off an Offshore Safety Training Centre along Opete Road in Warri, Delta State belonging to Opeans Nigeria Limited.

It is was alleged that Opeans Nigeria Limited, which operates an Offshore Safety Training Centers both in Warri and Port Harcourt has been fraudulently issuing International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) approved certificates to innocent Nigerians and Foreigners working in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry, with some of the forged/fraudulent ‘IADC Approved’ certificates being issued by Opeans Nigeria Limited includes the Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET), Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), Survival at Sea (SAS).

The BOSIET, HUET and SAS certificates are mandatory safety requirements for traveling to Offshore and Swamp locations in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry.

Allegation has it that over the years, Opeans Nigeria Limited has issued thousands of these fraudulent ‘IADC Approved’ BOSIET, HUET, SAS certificates to innocent Nigerians and Foreigners, and obtaining money into millions of Naira from unsuspecting Oil and Gas workers under false pretense claiming that the certificates and courses are accredited by the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC).

The BOSIET, HUET & SAS are mandatory certifications needed to travel offshore of the Nigeria Oil and Gas industry, but it was alleged that thousands of these fraudulent certificates have been issued to innocent Nigerians and foreigners by Opeans Nigeria Limited, thereby compromising the safety of personnel working in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry as well as putting the lives of innocent Nigerians and foreigners in grave danger.

When contacted via email, the IADC Vice President, Accreditation Operations, Mark Denkowski stated that, Opeans Nigeria Limited is not an accredited IADC training provider, stating that the International Association of Drilling Contractors IADC does not currently have a BOSIET and HUET accreditation program. That, the use of the IADC logo on training certificates by Opeans Nigeria Limited is an abuse of the IADC logo.

Sources within the EFCC informed newsmen that Opeans Nigeria Limited was petitioned and the Commission commenced investigation, adding that the EFCC raided Opeans Offshore Safety Training Centre along Opete Road in Warri, Delta State and uncovered several allegedly forged ‘IADC Approved’ certificates and to prevent the public from being continuously defrauded, the Commission had to seal the fraudulent training centre. 

Efforts to reach the Management of Opeans Nigeria Limited and  Director of Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, who are the safety regulators for comments proved abortive.