Navy Reviews Strategies to Tackle Oil Theft, Economic Sabotage
· Establishes ‘waterborne guard post to fight criminalities
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Nigerian Navy yesterday disclosed that it reviewed its programmes and strategies directed at tackling illegal bunkering, oil theft and other acts of economic sabotage within the country’s coastal area.
The navy also disclosed that it had set up a new security outpost christened “Waterborne Guard Post” to tackle criminalities along the coast.
Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim made this disclosure yesterday at a session in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
At the session, Ibrahim said that it had set various programmes, including technologies to tackle the challenges of illegal bunkering and economy sabotage in the Niger Delta region.
Ibrahim, who outlined the achievements of NNS Pathfinder under his leadership, said its operations had significantly reduced the freedom of action of criminal elements within its area of operation.
Specifically, Ibrahim added that the navy had set up a security outpost, tagged, ‘Waterborne Guard Post’, to tackle the menace of oil theft and illegal oil bunkering.
According to him, setting up of the security out post is yielding results with successes recording in arresting and reducing the incidence of oil theft within the maritime domain flash point.
Ibrahim said its sustained fight against oil theft has lead to arrest of many suspects involved in oil bunkering as well as destruction of barges, tug, wooden and fibre boats used in oil bunkering activities.
He said following coordinated joint offensive operations by NNS Pathfinder, NNS Soroh and FOB Bonny with aerial support from the NAF, some abductees were released.
Suleiman said the force “has remained vigilant in order to maintain operational success and sustain deterrence to prevent economic and social vices within her Area of Operations.
“Occasions like this present me as the Commander with the rare opportunity to reflect on the outgone year and appreciate my staff officers, officers and ratings as well as the civilian staff and the entire NNS Pathfinder community for their commitments at ensuring that the base fulfilled its mandate.
“The Rivers State Government activated Op WIPE OUT CRIMINALS. The operation is a joint clearance Operation aimed at clearing all identified hot spot within the State and to further degrades the activities of illegal bunkers and economic saboteurs.
“In order to maximise previous gains achieved in anti-crude oil theft efforts, the base established and sustained an aggressive patrol scheme.
“Accordingly, Waterbourne Guard Posts were established daily during patrols at Cawthorne Channel, Isaka Junction, Andoki, Namasibi and Opumakiri and this led to arrest of several suspects, wooden boats, barges, tug and fibre boats during the period under review.
“Due to the resilience of the operators of illegal cooking camps, the base adopted the approach of using swamp buggies to degrade and dismantle the metal structures used in the camps as tanks, reservoirs and cooking pots.
“This has ensured the miscreants are severely discouraged and deterred. Currently, the base has four swamp buggies, four tugboats and four barges, which are used to deactivate illegal cooking camps within the base area of operation.
“This is done in conjunction with the support of Head Quarters under the auspices of Op OCTOPUS GRIP. Currently, the Base Swamp Buggies have dismantled infrastructure used for crude oil theft at Ke, Adamakiri, Tuma, Market Square, Bakana, Bukuma, Bille and some areas in Alakiri.”
He commended the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Awwal Gambo for providing the enabling environment for them to succeed in its area of operation and urged the officers of the base to brace up to the new challenges of it’s area of responsibility.
