In a bold and unprecedented move, Nigeria’s security agencies have declared war on oil theft, a criminal enterprise that has drained the nation’s resources and ravaged its economy.
With a fresh mandate from the Federal Government, the security forces have launched a comprehensive operation to tackle the scourge of oil theft, which has cost the country billions of dollars in revenue.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Limited and other security agencies, today declared the fresh war on perpetrators of oil theft in the Niger Delta region to improve oil production and revitalize the nation’s ailing economy.
The fresh intensification of war against oil theft in Niger Delta areas followed a new directive by the president to the military, police, NNPC and other security agencies to improve production of crude oil in the region.
Addressing the press after a close door meeting with the leadership of NNPC and heads of security agencies, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa said, the President has given them a mandate to ensure that they secure the entire South-South, to enable NNPC and others to carry out their tasks to improve oil production.
He assured Nigerians that they will see result of the reinvigorated war against oil theft within three months.
According to him, the truth about it is that whatever is happening in the South-South has been ongoing for such a long time, and we feel it is high time that it is stopped. Musa vowed that going forward, the entire South-South will be cleared of any acts of vandalism, criminality within the general area.
He said: “Like we said, the President has given us a mandate to ensure that we secure the entire South-South, to enable NNPC and others to carry out their tasks so that we can have improved production. We know that Nigeria relies so much on crude oil production, so we want to use this medium to appeal to the communities, to have an understanding. Yes, we know trust has been a problem, but they can trust us, they can trust the government, that we want to do things differently. Everyone will be carried along”.
Noting that everyone has a role to play in the renewed anti oil theft operation, the CDS said the ongoing war is not only for the security agencies alone. “We need the communities to understand that pipeline vandalism and all the hazards being caused is also affecting them directly and we need to stop that. We need to work together, and this meeting we had today is to harmonize that based on the mandates that the President has given us. We are going to work together as a team and all the operations will be harmonized,” he said.
Musa also noted that the Joint Task Force, with the land components of all the other agencies are going to work together to bring results.
While fielding questions from newsmen, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun assured that in the days ahead, Nigerians are going to see results.
He said: “We accept that we have challenges, but we must all come together to solve them. So, we need the cooperation of all agencies, we need the cooperation of the citizens. We need to take every step that we need to take to address all these issues. I am assuring you that in days ahead, you are going to see results”.
Speaking earlier, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Limited, Mele Kyari, said the security meeting with the CDS, was based on the directive of the president.
The president, he said, has directed the CDS to take control of the crisis the nation is having in the Niger Delta operational area.
According to him, oil theft and pipe line vandalism have become a national issue, and the president has directed the CDS to curtail this within the shortest possible time so that we can restore national production to the level the president and the country is expecting.
“To do this, he needs the coordination and cooperation of all, the armed forces, the police, the DIA, the DSS among others. It is the survival of our country that is at stake today. Without restoring oil and gas production, we cannot have the economic stability that we desire. The president is clearly focused on this to deliver value to our country. It is impossible to do this without curtailing the crisis around our operational areas.
The GCEO, said: “We are already seeing progress, we are seeing substantial value that is being created by the coordination but we are very convinced that a solution is in sight”.