NNPC, navy strengthen ties to curb illegal maritime activities

By Joy Baba

As part of efforts to stamp out illegal crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of illegalities on the Nigerian waterways, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian

Navy have agreed to work together to curtail this menace and other social crimes in the Nigerian maritime.

This agreement was reached on Tuesday in Abuja when the Chief of Naval Staff, (CNS) Vice admiral Usman Jibrin played host to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Dr Joseph Dawha in his office.

Jibrin said that crude oil theft, illegal bunkering piracy and all forms of illegalities on Nigerian waterways has reduce drastically since he took the leadership of the Force.

He said crude oil theft has drastically reduced to 900,000 barrel in June as against over 2.6 million barrel theft recorded in January when he came in adding that the Navy will continue to do its constitutional mandate until these illegalities on the waterways is brought to it barest minimum.

The Naval Chief expressed displeasure over Nigerians being actively involved in these illegal business by establishing refineries where the stolen crudes are refined noting that some of the Consequences of this illegal activities include environmental pollution, depriving the

nation of its revenue, and painting Nigeria as a whole in bad light internationally.

Earlier in his address, Dawha said the Nigerian Navy has been if tremendous support to NNPC and it’s partners in fostering and ensuring secured environment for their personnel and operations.

The GMD expressed the readiness of the NNPC to sustain the engagement with the Navy and ItHe security personnel especially in areas of pipeline security, vandalism, crude oil and products theft including the associated crimes of kidnapping and abduction of oil workers on the near shore, offshore and deep water.