By Ohuakanwa Chibuzo
In a unified effort to tackle crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other criminal activities plaguing the Niger Delta, security chiefs have aligned their strategies to secure the oil-rich region. This decision follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who emphasized the need for seamless crude exploration and the protection of lives in the area.
The security chiefs, including the Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, convened with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO Mele Kyari in Abuja to declare an integrated battle plan under a joint task force. They also sought the cooperation of Niger Delta communities in executing the presidential directive.
The Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa addressed reporters, underscoring the importance of community trust and collaboration “We know that Nigeria relies so much on what we can produce. We 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, everyone has a role to play; it is not only for the security agencies alone. We need the communities to understand that pipeline vandalism and all the hazards being caused are also affecting them directly, and we need to stop that. I can assure you within the next shortest possible time, you will see results.”
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Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun reiterated the commitment to a collaborative approach, stating “We accept that we have challenges, but we must all come together to solve them. We need the cooperation of all agencies and citizens. We need to take every step that we need to take to address all these issues. I assure you that in the days ahead, you are going to see results. Whatever is happening in the Southsouth has been ongoing for such a very long time. And we feel it is high time that it is stopped. What we are promising Nigerians is that henceforth, the entire Southsouth will be cleared of any acts of vandalism or criminality. The President gave us the mandate to ensure that we secure the entire Southsouth and to enable NNPC and others to carry out their tasks so that we can have improved production.”
NNPCL CEO Mele Kyari highlighted the economic implications of oil theft and the necessity of resolving these issues for national stability:
“We are here to engage with the CDS based on the directive of the President to the CDS to take control of the crisis we are having in the Niger Delta operational area. Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have become national issues. The president directed the CDS to contain all issues affecting crude oil operations within the shortest possible time so that we can restore national production to the level he and the country are expecting. To do this, the CDS needs the coordination and cooperation of the armed forces and other security agencies like the police, the DIA (Defence Intelligence Agency), and the DSS (Department of State Services). 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 focused on this to deliver value to our country. It is impossible to do this without settling the crisis around our operational areas. 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.”
Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, reported a significant financial loss due to oil-related crimes:
“The country lost $1.84 billion worth of petroleum products from refineries in nine years.”
The meeting and the declarations made are seen as a pivotal step toward restoring order and boosting the nation’s oil production, essential for Nigeria’s economic stability.
