The Chief of Defence Employees, Gen. Christopher Musa, has inaugurated a joint monitoring workforce to reinforce army operations within the South-South area aimed toward curbing oil theft.
This transfer comes because the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps reported intercepting three oil-laden boats and arresting seven suspects at Woji and Iwofe, each on the outskirts of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
A press release by the Director of Defence Info, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, revealed that the CDS, through the inauguration, said that the institution of the brand new workforce was meant to assist the Federal Authorities’s aim of attaining a every day oil manufacturing of two.2 million barrels.
“The CDS highlighted that the position of the monitoring groups is to optimize army and safety company operations throughout the oil-producing area,” the assertion stated. “The target is to evaluate army efficiency and report back to commanders for enchancment.”
He emphasised the collaboration between the Armed Forces of Nigeria and different safety businesses, which has considerably contributed to the rise in every day oil manufacturing within the area.
Gusau additionally talked about that the CDS urged the workforce to work in direction of growing the nation’s every day oil manufacturing to 2.2 million barrels per day. He instructed the workforce to coordinate with the Joint Activity Pressure, South-South Operation Delta Secure, and different safety businesses and stakeholders within the oil sector to make sure clean operations.
“The workforce is conscious of President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to extend oil manufacturing to 2.2 million barrels per day. Securing crucial nationwide infrastructure and oil-producing areas, in addition to collaborating with oil firms to maximise manufacturing by December, are very important parts of their mandate,” the assertion added.
The Chairman of the Defence Monitoring Group, Maj. Gen. Jamiu Jimoh, acknowledged the substantial assist and cooperation from troops and different safety businesses within the area.
He pledged that the workforce would work relentlessly to attain the goal of manufacturing 2.2 million barrels of oil per day as directed by the President.
In the meantime, the NSCDC in Rivers State paraded seven suspected oil thieves arrested in Woji and Iwofe, each on the outskirts of Port Harcourt.
NSCDC Commandant in Rivers, Joachin Okafor, reported that the suspects have been caught scooping oil merchandise from a barge and loading them into cellophane baggage for transport to an undisclosed location.
“We’re right here at Woji Jetty alongside the Slaughter space in Port Harcourt. It is extremely regarding to see such a big barge stuffed with illegally refined AGO,” Okafor stated. “As of now, we have now arrested two suspects and the director of the corporate the place the barge is situated has been invited for questioning. We’re persevering with to seek for extra perpetrators and their sponsors.”
The remaining 5 suspects have been apprehended by the Marine Squad of the command on the Tombia-Iwofe axis alongside the waterways. Preliminary reviews point out they have been caught with three boats laden with an unspecified amount of AGO.
“Our ongoing battle in opposition to crude oil theft is pushed by our dedication to fight unlawful bunkering actions in coastal areas, thereby growing nationwide oil manufacturing,” Okafor stated. “Safeguarding crucial property and infrastructure is our core mandate, and my administration will restore order within the state. We’re in opposition to all acts of environmental degradation and air pollution that result in well being hazards. We’re decided to revive the glory of our economic system, and it’ll not be enterprise as regular for these stealing the nation’s crude oil.”