The Military High Command on Friday announced that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are revamping the ongoing operations against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region to address the issue more effectively.
This was detailed in a statement made available to Defense Correspondents in Abuja by Director of Defense Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, regarding the current military operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria across various theaters of operations nationwide as of Friday, July 19 this year.
According to him, “The Armed Forces are engaged on multiple fronts, targeting terrorists and their cohorts, and dismantling their military capabilities. In the Niger Delta region, the military is revamping ongoing operations to combat crude oil theft.
“Accordingly, the redesigned strategy aims to curb the menace of crude oil theft through a comprehensive approach. Operations will therefore be conducted under a unified command structure for all security agencies operating in the Niger Delta.
“Additionally, operations will target specific areas with significant potential to boost crude oil production. These targeted areas include, but are not limited to, enforcing transparency by International Oil Companies operating in the region.
“Other measures include ensuring the integrity of the metering systems deployed at flow stations. Operations will also focus on tracking the point of loading to the destination point of the crude oil. Furthermore, operations will concentrate on the surveillance of pipelines, jackets, and wellheads to prevent breaches.
“Overall, the operations will galvanize support from the people of the Niger Delta as well as stakeholders in the oil sector to support the drive to boost the nation’s oil production. Importantly, operations will ensure the prosecution of those engaged in crude oil theft.”
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He explained that during the week under review, troops neutralized 125 individuals and arrested 200 persons. Additionally, the troops arrested 20 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 140 kidnapped hostages.
He added that in the South-South region, the troops prevented oil theft estimated at Seven Hundred and Forty-Four Million One Hundred and Fifty-Three Thousand Nine Hundred Naira (N744,153,900.00) only.
According to him, “Furthermore, troops recovered 120 assorted weapons and 1,793 rounds of ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: 56 AK-47 rifles, 26 locally fabricated guns, 22 dane guns, one SMG rifle, seven pump-action guns, one fabricated Beretta pistol, seven locally made guns, five 60mm mortar bombs, unexploded ordnance, and two small rubber gunpowder.
“Other items recovered include: 1,244 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 383 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 88 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 78 live cartridges, 24 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo, 21 AK-47 magazines, one Baofeng radio, six vehicles, 11 motorcycles, five bicycles, 38 mobile phones, and the sum of N2,737,145.00, among other items.
“He further added that the troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 11 dugout pits, five boats, and 20 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 31 cooking ovens, five vehicles, three mobile phones, and 31 illegal refining sites. Additionally, the troops recovered 715,325 liters of stolen crude oil and 148,415 liters of illegally refined AGO.
He assured that, “On the whole, the military is in a strong position in the war against terrorism, with many terrorist leaders being killed. Our operations continue to focus on providing security and stability for the nation and its citizens.”
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