Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, on Saturday, decried the increasing spate of oil theft in the country, and its attendant impacts on the nation’s economy.
Crude oil theft in Nigeria has in recent times, risen to alarming rates, due to scarcity, as well as escalating price of fuel.
Vice Admiral Gambo who spoke through his representative; Chief, Policy and Planning, Rear Admiral Suleiman Garuba, said oil theft is crippling Nigeria’s economy, and making the country to bleed.
The CNS also revealed at the flag off of a special joint security operations with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Rivers State codenamed “Operation Dakarta Da Barawo” (stop the thief), that the last six months had experienced an alarming increase in cases of oil theft, which calls for concern.
“We have lost so much in terms of revenue and from the reports we’re getting, Nigeria is actually bleeding and there is a need for us to bring these things to a halt. That is why in collaboration with the NNPC, the Nigerian Navy has engaged in this operation,” he said.
Gambo further revealed that “Operation Dakatar Da Barawo” was in collaboration with Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC); the Nigerian Navy and NNPC’s collective pledge and deep commitments to curb the menace of crude oil theft, illegal oil refining and other insecurity within the nation’s maritime environment.
The newly launched “Operation Dakatar Da Barawo” is seemingly the biggest so far, with the deployment of 40 ships, five helicopters and 200 boats ffor operations across the Niger Delta region.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, has assured Nigerians that results will be evident in no time, as effective strategies are being deployed to curb oil theft in the country.
