Stamp Out Crude Oil Thieves Before May 29, Buhari Orders Security Agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged security agencies to eradicate crude oil theft and pipeline vandalisation in the Niger Delta region before May 29, 2023, stressing that government can no longer tolerate the criminality.

Minister of state, Petroleum Resources Chief Timipre Sylva gave the directive, on behalf of the president while addressing  troops of the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe, in Effurum, Delta State and Port Harcourt, Rivers state, respectively, yesterday.

Sylva said Nigeria can no longer tolerate the activities of the criminals who have through their criminalities destabilised crude oil productions in the last couple of years, a statement by senior adviser (Media & Communications) to the minister of state, Horatius Egua, indicated.

“Mr President has mandated us to eradicate crude oil theft. He has directed that no liter of crude oil should be stolen in the country again especially in the South South. He wants crude oil thief completely eliminated by May 29 2023 as one of the legacies of his government. This is the message from Mr President. We are not where we want to be but we are happy at what we are seeing.  ” he said.

Prior to the renewed efforts of the Federal Government in tackling the menace of crude oil thieves, the nation’s daily crude oil production was about 900,000 barrels per day but the scaled up security efforts of the Federal Government has helped to shore up production to about 1.5 million barrels per day.

The minister added “I am happy to hear that moral is high here. We were here a few months ago to hand over the mandate of Mr President to you and that is to ensure that there is zero tolerance  for  crude oil thief in the region. We want to thank you for what you have done so far but there is still more to be done for us to achieve 100%,” Sylva said.

He noted that “Nigerians have noticed what you are doing, the managers in the oil industry have noticed what you are doing and indeed the international community have noticed what you are doing. We are happy at the improvement we are seeing in the oil and gas sector. We have seen the significant improvement and that’s why we are here on the mandate of the president to thank you for what you are doing. He has said there should be no reason why Nigeria should be loosing essential commodity that is the life wire of the country”.

“We are here to ask you to redouble your efforts so that we will be able to tell Nigerians and the President that we have zero tolerance for crude oil theft,” the minister stated further.

He said when the team visited the region about three months ago on the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari, the situation was very disturbing noting that “today we have seen a significant change in the whole thing and we are happy about it. We want to return in another few months to show Nigerians that we have successful tackles the problem of oil thief and pipeline vandalization in the country”.

While again thanking the combined team of security agencies for their efforts he urged them not to relent in the feat they have achieved so far adding that “going forward we want to have zero tolerance for crude oil thief in the country.

In a brief remark the group chief executive officer NNPC Limited Mallam Mele  Kyari disclosed that the federal government has set up a special court to expedite the trials of criminal elements involved in oil thief and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.

Kyari who also expressed gratitude to the troops for the excellent  works they were doing to restore confidence in the pipelines said he was sure that full confidence will be restored in crude oil production in shortest possible time.

He also expressed confidence in the collaboration between security agencies and the private security company contracted  by the NNPC Limited in the campaign to restore full confidence in the sector.

The chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor,  in his remarks urged the troops to remain steadfast in the campaign to stamp out crude oil thieves in the country!

Those on the minister’s team besides Kyari and Irabor were the chief of Naval Staff,  Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, chief executive officer of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Engr. Gbenga Komolafe and the chief executive offer of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Engr. Farouk Ahmed.

Others are Commander Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Aminu Hassan, senior government officials in the oil and gas sector as well as top military officers.