The Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Delta Safe and surveillance contractors are intensifying efforts to stop crude oil theft in oil producing areas resulting in seizure of tug boats and oil vessels.
In a recent joint operation, a tug boat, Aya Oba Olori II and barge christened Rampage 13 laden with over 200,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil were impounded in the Akassa axis of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The feat has also received plaudits from leaders of coastal communities including Dona Biena, a community leader in Akassa who stated that the renewed effort was helping to check crude oil theft.
Biena, on Wednesday in Yenagoa, commended the JTF for improving their patrols of the waterways, saying it had reduced the incidence of sea pirates while a joint patrol by JTF and local surveillance groups led to seizure of the barge on March 17 this year.
He disclosed that a local surveillance group, Labrador Security, leveraged on its knowledge of the creeks and provided intelligence and logistics to the troops to nab the oil thieves in the act.
A member of the surveillance group who participated in the operation said that the vessel was being pushed by a tugboat named Aya Oba Olori II when it was apprehended.
The barge and tugboat, it was gathered, were initially anchored at Labrador Security base at Bille community and later handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) on March 25.
Reacting to the commendation, JTF Commander, Suleiman Apochi, a rear admiral, said oil production figures from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) indicate an upward surge in production in the past three years.
Suleiman said that the country’s oil production had increased to 2.2 million barrels per day from 900,000 barrels per day because of the significant progress recorded in the fight against pipeline vandalism, militancy and kidnapping, among others.
In his words: “As at the time we took over the leadership of this operation, the oil production of the country was at 900, 000 barrels per day. Today, due to our operational activities and commitment to providing an enabling environment for business to thrive, oil production has increased to 2.2 million barrels per day.
“Many oil firms have come here to commend us for providing them the enabling environment for the oil business to thrive. We have received such feedback from Agip, which at a time, had shut down due to unsustainable levels of oil theft.
“We shall continue to do the best we can in line with our mandate of Operation Delta Safe which is essentially to protect oil and gas infrastructure. We shall also deter and prevent militancy, sea robbery and any other forms of criminality within the joint operation area, which will impact positively on the economy of this country.”
