Armed Forces Intensify Efforts To Tackle Oil Theft

The Nigerian Armed Forces has intensified its efforts to combat crude oil theft, a major economic and security challenge in the country.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Director Defence Media Operations,
Major General Edward Buba outlined the measures taken to tackle this issue and reported significant progress in ongoing military operations.

According to him, the military in the fight against crude oil theft
has established a unified command structure to oversee security operations in the affected regions.

He explained that efforts are being made to improve transparency among International Oil Companies (IOCs), ensure credible metering of oil wells, and track the movement of crude oil from loading points to destinations.

“We are galvanizing the support of host communities and stakeholders in the oil sector, troops are reinforcing surveillance efforts on vessels, terminals, and oil infrastructures, including jackets that house wellheads. Most importantly, we are monitoring to ensure that culprits are prosecuted by the relevant agencies.”

General Buba further stated that during the past week, the military reported significant achievements in the South-South zone, where 32 perpetrators of oil theft were arrested.

Additionally, troops also discovered and destroyed 20 dugout pits, 24 boats, and 34 storage tanks used for illegal refining.

Other items recovered included 56 cooking ovens, two speedboats, 14 pumping machines, 18 drums, 22 vehicles, four motorcycles, and 36 illegal refining sites. In total, 802,200 liters of stolen crude oil, 121,900 liters of illegally refined AGO, and 450 liters of DPK were recovered.

General Buba further announced the neutralization of 106 terrorists and the arrest of 164 individuals over the past week while 103 kidnapped hostages were rescued.

Amidst these military operations, the armed forces equally raised concerns over planned nationwide protests.

The Director highlighted the need to examine the motivations behind these protests, warning against elements that might exploit public frustrations to incite violence.

“The constitution clearly defines the roles and functions of the armed forces,”
“While citizens have a right to peaceful protest, they do not have a right to mobilize for anarchy.”

Drawing parallels with recent violent protests in Kenya, the military warned of potential violence and unrest stressing that Indicators suggest unscrupulous elements may hijack the protests, targeting individuals based on socio-economic status and other factors.

General Buba who urged citizens to remain calm and avoid actions that could lead to violence, emphasized the need for collective responsibility.

Aisha Adesanya, Edited By Grace Namiji