OIL THEFT: Aregbesola launches 8 gunboats, as Civil Defence Corps upscales strategies to combat economic crimes

*It is an organised economic crime against Nigeria – Minister

By ABIRHIRE THOMAS

In her resolve to end the menace of crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the nation downstream sector, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has commissioned eight gunboats for the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to wage a full scale war against perpetrators of the economic crimes.

According to Aregbesola, the move became necessary to strengthen combative capacity of NSCDC’s Anti Vandalism Squad in stemming the tide of huge revenue losses in the sector to the Federal Government.

The Minister, while performing official commissioning of the gunboats towards a renewed fight against the economic saboteurs in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital on Tuesday, described the incidences of oil theft as an organised crime costing the nation accrued revenue running into millions of dollars, annually.

Aregbesola said, “The Country in recent past, had recorded various occurrences of crude oil theft and reports, has shown that the country loses million 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 of Interior 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 synergise, by supporting the fight against Oil theft, in order to salvage and rid the nation’s economy of saboteurs.

The Minister further 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, mni, affirmed that the 8 newly, commissioned gunboats will 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 livehood 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 nation.

He reiterated the Corps’ determination and unwavering commitment, to the war against illegal oil bunkering and assured the Government and the entire nation that the gunboats would be distributed to States in the coastal region as the Corps 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.