NIGERIA NAVY SET FOR WAR AGAINST OIL THIEVES

By Folashade Alli

Following recent directives from the Presidency urging the Nigeria Navy to be more proactive  in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime assets, the Nigeria Naval high Command has declared a force majeure  against pirates and oil thieves operating on the nation’s territorial waters.

Confirming a regime of new offensive, the Chief Of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, pointed out that waging a war against pirates had become imperative, in view of the enormous challenges their nefarious activities posed to the economic growth.

Ezeoba who spoke to journalists noted that piracy, crude oil theft and other illegalities in Nigeria’s maritime environment have undoubtly been a major source of revenue leakage in the country, which if not nipped bud could hamper economic growth.

Enumerating Nigeria’s maritime assets to include  5,779 oil wells, 9,717km of pipelines, 112 flow stations, 16 gas plants and 126 production platforms, with floating storage offloading platforms, including other critical maritime assets and infrastructures, also called on the Presidency to provide enabling means to run out the pirates.

The Navy top brass said that in a bid to it win the war against pirates and oil thieves , the Navy has commissioned a Chinese firm to build  two new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) to boost the naval fleet, and would need seaward defence boats and other mix of platforms, like helicopters and support facilities to carry out its mandate effectively.

Highlighting the successes recorded thus far in fighting pirates and oil thieves, Ezeoba, revealed that , between January and August this year, not fewer than some 64 attempts at sea robbery and piracy had been foiled, through coordinated operations with the Nigerian Air force.

This comradeship has equally led to the rescue of 2 petroleum products vessels from oil thieves.

He further noted that the first three quarters of the year had witnessed over 968 crude oil tankers successfully lifting 82,122,452 metric tons of crude oil on behalf of the Federal Government without attacks from either sea robbers or the dreaded pirates; even as the Navy managed to arrest some 25 vessels, alleged to be involved in crude oil theft and other illegal activities like oil bunkering, through the joint efforts of the Nigerian Navy (NN) and Joint Task Force (JTF) which had significantly reduced the activities of illegal refineries in Nigeria.

He called on stakeholders from the private sector to support Government efforts towards solving the increasing waves of insecurity in the country, pointing out that the Navy recently streamlined the operations of Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCS) so as to sensitize them on current strategic disposition of the Nigerian Navy.