Why Oil Theft Is Thriving —- Army Chief

The General Officer Commanding 82 Army Division Enugu, Major General Adebayo Olaniyi, said the shortage of gunboats and fast-assault craft were partly responsible for increased oil theft in the Niger Delta Region.
The GOC made the disclosure to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after an operational tour of the Joint Task Force Sector-Two operation formations in Rivers State.

The General Officer Commanding 82 Army Division Enugu, Major General Adebayo Olaniyi, said the shortage of gunboats and fast-assault craft were partly responsible for increased oil theft in the Niger Delta Region.
The GOC made the disclosure to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after an operational tour of the Joint Task Force Sector-Two operation formations in Rivers State.
Olaniyi said that the tour had enabled him to better access the troop’s readiness to combat oil theft and meet with stakeholders to discuss ways of improving JTF’s operations. He said that shortage of gunboats and fast assault crafts had weighed down their renewed strategy to effectively patrol creeks round the clock.
He said: “If the JTF had adequate gunboats and fast assault crafts, it will improve our patrol and monitoring of the creeks, as well as guarantee quick response of our troops to reported crime scenes.
“Constant patrols and monitoring of the creeks will discourage oil thieves and pipeline vandals from perpetrating their nefarious activities of sabotaging the economy of the country.
“If these facilities were sufficiently provided by the government, the efficiency and proficiency of our troops in policing the creeks will witness significant improvement.
“Communities can also assist the JTF by providing us timely information that will lead to the arrest of oil thieves so as to discourage youth involvement in illegal oil bunkering activities.”
Olaniyi said that the fight against oil theft was the responsibility of Nigerians, irrespective of their class, to ensure economic growth and prosperity of the country.
He said that any soldier or officer found to be involved in oil theft would be severely dealt with in accordance with the Army Code of Conduct.
The GOC held meetings with the officials of Pipeline and Product Marketing Company and the
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria amongst others.