Security chiefs have harmonised their strategies toward clearing the Niger Delta of crude oil thieves, pipeline vandals and other criminal elements fleecing the country.
The decision followed the directive by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that crude exploration and exploitation in the oil-rich region must be made seamless and lives protected.
The security chiefs, who met with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO Mele Kyari in Abuja yesterday, declared an integrated battle plan under a joint task force.
They sought the understanding of Niger Delta communities in carrying out the presidential directive.
Speaking to reporters, Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, said: “We know that Nigeria relies so much on what we can produce. We appeal to the communities to have an understanding.
Yes, we know trust has been a problem, but they can trust us, they can trust the government that we want to do things differently.
Everyone will be carried along, everyone has a role to play; it is not only for the security agencies alone.
“We need the communities to understand that pipeline vandalism and all the hazards being caused are also affecting them directly and we need to stop that.
“I can assure you within the next shortest possible time, you will see results.’’
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun said the security services and agencies agreed at the meeting that all must come together to solve the problems inhibiting oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta.
Egbetokun said there was a need to take every necessary step to address all the issues.
He assured that results would be visible in the days ahead.
The IGP said: “We accept that we have challenges, but we must all come together to solve them.
“We need the cooperation of all agencies and citizens. We need to take every step that we need to take to address all these issues.
“I assure you that in the days ahead, you are going to see results.
Whatever is happening in the Southsouth has been ongoing for such a very long time. And we feel it is high time that it is stopped.
“What we are promising Nigerians is that henceforth, the entire Southsouth will be cleared of any acts of vandalism or criminality.
“As we said, the President gave us the mandate to ensure that we secure the entire Southsouth and to enable NNPC and others to carry out their tasks so that we can have improved production.”
Kyari said oil theft and other crimes in the Niger Delta must be curbed for the nation to achieve desired economic stability.
He said: “We are here to engage with the CDS based on the directive of the President to the CDS to take control of the crisis we are having in the Niger Delta operational area.
“Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have become national issues. The president directed the CDS to contain all issues affecting crude oil operations within the shortest possible time so that we can restore national production to the level he (president) and the country is expecting.
To do this, he (CDS) needs the coordination and cooperation of the armed forces and other security agencies like the police, the DIA (Defence Intelligence Agency) and the DSS (Department of State Services).
‘’It is the survival of our country that is at stake today. Without restoring oil and gas production, we cannot have the economic stability that we desire.
“The President is focused on this to deliver value to our country.
It is impossible to do this without settling the crisis around our operational areas.
“We are already seeing progress; we are seeing substantial value that is being created by the coordination but we are very convinced that a solution is in sight. “
Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Ogbonnaya Orji, said on Monday that the country lost $ 1.84 billion worth of petroleum products from refineries in nine years.
