By ZAKAA LAZARUS-Abuja.
The General Officer Commnading (GOC), 6 Division, Nigerian Army (NA), Major General Jamal Abdussalam has pointed out that the ongoing operations against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta Region (NDR) are yielding the desired end state, as visible in the increase in the terminal factor, reassuring that the Division would continue on that trajectory.
He gave the reassurance, when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), New Guard Security and Consultancy Services (NGSCS) Limited, Major General Jamil Sarham (retired) paid him a courtesy call at the Division’s Headquarters in Port Harcourt Barracks, Rivers State.
Major General Abdussalam further said that the Government had given a directive to shore up daily production with a benchmark of 2 million barrels per day. This, he said, is a task that must be achieved.
Thus, the Division under his watch is not unmindful of this huge responsibility and has since been engaged in different operations to ensure it is achieved.
“We started with Operation CHANNEL SWEEP around Imo River and its banks, with an upward of over 20 million litres of stolen crude handled appropriately.”
Operation LINES SWEEP was also conducted aimed at clearing the Trans Niger Pipelines (TNP) critical areas, particularly around zones 5 and 8 with several illegal connections identified and clamped as well as illegal products confiscated, he said.
The GOC maintained that operations are ongoing within the Division’s Area of Responsibility, with several illegal artisanal refineries destroyed, products confiscated, and several arrests made.
At the moment, he said, Operation RIVER SHIELD is currently ongoing around Imo River, with huge successes being recorded, as well as Operation CRUDE HUNT.
He averred that the Division has been working closely with other stakeholders, particularly Private Security Companies (PSCs), whose cooperation has enhanced the Division’s operations in the region.
He was particularly delighted with the level of intelligence they get from the local communities, which have assisted in the fight against crude oil theft. He assured that the Division will continue to partner with private security companies in this regard.
However, he warmed that in any human activity, there are bad eggs. As such, these bad eggs must be purged if progress made must be sustained in the current drive.
Earlier, the CEO NGSCS, Major General Jamil Sarham (retired), said they were at the Division to solicit for support, adding that private security companies serve as force multipliers in operations.
He further maintained that private security companies are essentially patriotic Nigerians who are out to support the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to achieve its mandate in the NDR.
The CEO further said the operating environment is complex and dynamic, hence the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) from the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) office made it abundantly clear that private security companies are enablers in the region.
Thus, they were engaged primarily to assist the AFN to safeguard critical national infrastructures.
He also added that Project Management Office (PMO), essentially interface between the private security companies and Government Security Agencies (GSAs), especially the AFN.
Major General Sarham said he was pleased with the recent upsurge in oil production.
This he averred was due to the untiring commitment and efforts of the GOC and his men. He commended the GOC for the feat, adding that he is proud of what he has been doing in the region.
He also appreciated the GOC for the level of infrastructural development he noticed in Port Harcourt Barracks and urged him to keep it up. The CEO urged him to redouble his efforts in the fight against illegal oil bunkering in the NDR.
The visit had representatives of PINL, Project Management Office, and Tatita Security Services, Nigeria Limited, in attendance.
