By Goodluck Ikiebe in Abuja.
In its resolve to end the menace of Crude Oil theft, illegal Oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria, the Federal Government has inaugurated 8 NSCDC Gunboats to wage full scale war against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Our Correspondent gathered that the move became necessary to strengthen the combative capacity of NSCDC Anti Vandalism Squad in stemming the tide of huge revenue loss to the Federal Government in the oil sector.
Performing the event in Portharcourt, Rivers State,the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, described oil theft as an organized crime ridding the nation of accrued revenue running to million of dollars annually.
He added that the occasion showed federal government’srenewed fight against economic saboteurs.
Aregbesola said, “The Country in recent past, had recorded various occurrences of crude oil theft and reports, showing that the country loses millions of dollars daily such that of the 141 million barrels of oil produced in the 1st quarter of year 2022, only 132 million barrels of oil were received at export terminals. The aftermath results further reveal that over 9 million barrels of oil was lost to crude oil theft.”
The Minister decried the negative impacts of crude oil theft and oil pipeline vandalism in the nation.
He called on all Security Agencies to shun Inter-agency rivalries and synergize, by supporting the fight against Oil theft, in order to salvage and rid the nation’s economy of saboteurs.
He maintained that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,as the lead agency in safeguarding Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, is mandated to use the available logistics provided by the Government to reduce crime rate and by extension, take the war against crude oil theft to the camp of the enemies.
While extolling the role of Government in the provision of necessary logistics to enhance the fight against Oil pipeline vandalism across the nation, the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, affirmed that the 8 newly Inaugurated gunboats would boost the morale of the Corps in combating the menace of Crude Oil theft along the waterways.
“The NSCDC is generally expected to effectively, safeguard Critical Infrastructure and oil installations, which are very central and vital, to the socio-economic development of the nation.
“The Corps is saddled with the mandate to guard against oil theft, illegal oil bunkering through the provision of physical security to oil pipelines against vandalism.
“Therefore, any threat to the oil and gas sector is automatically considered as a high security concern, owing to the debilitating effects it has on national development.
“It also constitutes environmental degradation, pollution, destruction of land and aquatic life, loss of means of livelihood and drastic reduction in the inflow of foreign exchange needed to bolster the economy of the nation,” the CG said.
He affirmed that a marching order has been issued to all Zonal Commanders, State Commandants and Heads of Antivandal Unit, across formations to be battle ready with a renewed vigour to stamp out oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the country.
He reiterated the Corps’ determination and unwavering commitment to the war against illegal oil bunkering and assured government and the nation that the gunboats would be distributed to States in the coastal region, assuring that the Corps would continue to collaborate with the Military and other Security Agencies.
He enjoined Nigerians to assist Security Agencies in winning the war against the enemies of the nation by volunteering credible Intelligence and Information that could lead to possible arrest and prosecution of oil pipeline vandals and saboteurs of the nation’s economy.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
