3 reasons there’s reduction in oil theft in N/Delta

THE Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Saidu Garba, has given three reasons there’s decrease in oil theft and illegal oil refinery in the Niger Delta.

The naval chief itemised the reasons in Warri during his familiarisation tour of the bases under his command.

He commended the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS DELTA) and its Commander, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, describing the base as the most critical security outfit to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Giving reasons why the incidence of oil theft and illegal oil refining had reduced in the Central Naval Command’s area of responsibility, Garba said three major security strategies had been useful in containing the area.

“As you know, crude oil theft and other such criminal activities have reduced as a result of a number of measures put in place, one of which is the permanent operation at sea, which is called Operation Tsare-Teku. Tsare-Teku maintains a number of vessels at sea at all times.

“The second one is the Swamp bogey operation, whereby we go around demolishing all illegal infrastructure that have been put in place for illegal oil production.

“The third one is the choke-point regime, in which we have our houseboats at strategic points within the inner waterways, which are the backwaters, ensuring there are no illegal movement of any kind of illegally produced products in that general area.

“We’ve been able to sustain these three and with them, we have been able to curtail the flow of illicit oil activities in our area of responsibility,” he revealed.

The naval boss advised those engaging in illegal and criminal activities within the Delta rivers to turn a new leaf and seek other legal and peaceful means of livelihood.

He vowed to deal with anyone caught perpetrating criminality in the waterways according to the law.

“We are advising them to engage in productive ventures that will enable them make clean money that will allow them to live peacefully because these criminals are unable to enjoy whatever illicit gains they make through criminality because they still have to be living in hiding.

“They should come out, engage in productive and legal ventures because anyone we catch breaking the law will certainly face the law,” he warned.