Oil Theft: Navy To Deploy Drones, Attack Helicopters In Niger Delta

The Nigerian Navy has launched an operation code-named Operation Delta Sanity II In furtherance of its mandate and drive to rid the Niger Delta region of oil thieves.

This comes as the Navy expressed its readiness to deploy its newly acquired drones, attack helicopters and other technological assets in combating oil theft in the region.

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla revealed that the Operation Delta Sanity, which is a Special Maritime Security Operation in the Niger Delta was designed to curb oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other criminalities.

Ogalla said the operation was conceived towards ensuring a secure maritime domain for increased economic activities in line with the President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for national economic prosperity and poverty eradication in the country.

The Chief of Naval Staff noted that the operation recorded several successes which led to the arrests of numerous vessels and suspects involved in oil theft, pointing out that it also led to the identification and deactivation of several illegal refining sites.

He however, noted that there were challenges, which necessitated a rejigging that gave birth to the Operation Delta Sanity II.

“Notwithstanding the successes recorded, the Nigerian Navy intends to rejig the operation DELTA SANITY towards achieving better results.

“Rejigging the operation will involve improved deployment of Maritime Domain Awareness infrastructure, increased aerial surveillance using our newly acquired air assets and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as well as increased intelligence gathering for enhanced situational awareness and efficient maritime security operations.

“It will also incorporate non-kinetic measures to consolidate the successes of previous operations and ensure improved collaboration with all relevant stakeholders in line with the enacted Standard Operating Procedures,” Ogalla said.

This, he said will ensure an increased and sustained crude oil production to over 2 million barrels per day in line with the President’s directive. “The rejigged efforts are hereby reconstituted under Operation DELTA SANITY II, to further restore sanity to oil and gas exploration activities in the Niger Delta region.”

The CNS therefore charged all participating Commands, Units and Establishments to strive towards realising the desired operational objectives of Operation DELTA SANITY II.

He also urged all concerned agencies and stakeholders to improve collaboration with the Nigerian Navy to ensure the success of Operation DELTA SANITY II while thanking President Tinubu for his support towards the Navy and its operations.

Flagging of the Operation, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpibiri, emphasised the need for stakeholders’ collaboration with the Nigerian Navy in ending oil theft, noting that state governments are the most beneficiaries of increased oil production because it leads to increased revenue.

While thanking the Navy for its resilience in its operations, Lokpobiri decried that the Trans Niger Pipeline is the major source of oil theft in the region.

“I believe that with this development we will be able to address that problem and that will automatically lead to increase in the number of barrels that we produce and that means more money to enable fund our budget, more money for states, federal government and local governments, more money for the government of President Tinubu to be able to finance the critical infrastructures that we need in our country,” Lokpibiri said.

Earlier, the Flag Officer Commanding East Command, Rear Admiral SA Akinwade revealed that since its inception, a total of 215 suspects have been arrested while about 468 illegal refinery sites were deactivated in accordance with extant regulations.

“Furthermore, an estimated quantity of 6.5million litres of stolen crude oil and 7million litres of illegally refined AGO were seized and appropriately handled. Also, a total of 361 wooden boats, 1,107 dugout pits and 279 storage tanks were deactivated while 26 vessels were arrested.

“Additionally, several items and equipment used in the construction of illegal 15 refineries were seized. It is worthy to state that OPS DELTA SANITY’s effort in anti-COT operations has contributed to the increase in crude oil production,” he stated.