The Nigerian Navy has extended its ongoing special military exercise in the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Sanity (ODS), by three months.
Vice Adm. Emmanual Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff, told journalists at NNS Pathfinder in Port Harcourt on Thursday that the extension was prompted by the significant achievements made by its operations.
He stressed that the special military intervention, initiated on Jan. 6 to combat the escalating crude oil theft and other maritime crimes in the Niger Delta, had been successful.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu has tasked the navy to eliminate oil theft and ramp up Nigeria’s oil production to optimal production level.
”It was this presidential directive that led to the establishment of this special intervention.
”This resulted in the deployment of personnel, naval platforms, helicopters, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for aggressive surveillance and interdiction operations.
”Naval commands, units and bases were directed to conduct both kinetic and non-kinetic operations to stem maritime criminal activities.
”Initially planned for three months, the ODS has now been extended by another three months due to its achievements,” he said.
Ogalla listed the successes recorded by the intervention as, arrests of oil thieves, seizures of illicit vessels, and destruction of illegal refineries.
He said that the ODS had disrupted the activities of oil thieves and pipeline vandals across the Niger Delta.
”Our roops seized 95 wooden boats, fibre boats, vehicles, and deactivated over 119 storage tanks and dug-out pits within the illegal refineries.
”This has resulted in increased crude oil production by oil and gas operators in the area.
”Also, 74 suspected oil thieves, pipeline vandals, sea robbers, and others were apprehended by naval forces during the period.
”We also intercepted no fewer than 14 large motor tanker vessels that entered the country without proper authorisation,” he said.
Ogalla named some of the vessels to include, MT kali, MT Harbour Spirit, MT Syfnil, MT Okito, MT Velanirious and MT Sweet Mary.
“One of the vessels, MT Sweet Mary was arrested 174 nautical miles off Nigeria’s coast, showcasing the Nigeria Navy’s capacity to police the backwaters and coastal zones.
“MT Sweet Mary was given a hot pursuit after attempting to evade arrest, demonstrating our resolve to pursuing errant vessels into the open sea and beyond our maritime domain,” he said.
The navy officer said that the destruction of illegal refining sites scattered across the Niger Delta had notably improved the air quality in the region.
Ogalla however, mentioned that some naval personnel involved in the operation lost their lives on the line of duty.
