In an effort to end illegal oil bunkering regime in the Niger Delta and South East regions, the General Officers Commanding (GOCs), 6 and 82 Divisions, Nigerian Army (NA), Major General Jamal Abdussalam and Major General Hassan Dada, has jointly paid an operational visit to the illegal oil bunkering empire located at Okoloma, Oyigbo Local Government Area (LGA) and Umuahale area in Ukwa West LGA in Rivers and Abia States respectively.
The locations are at the fringes of the Imo River, where the two Divisions are jointly conducting clearance operations from Rivers and Abia States.
The visit which was essentially to have an on the spot assessment of the illegality perpetrated by criminals and economic saboteurs as well as boost troops morale for a job welldone, was a follow up to the earlier raid on one of the camps last week by troops of 6 Division.
According to a statement by the Acting Deputy Director
6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, while at the fringes of the Imo River, deep into the thickly forested areas, “the GOCs were conducted through a tour by the Commander, 6 Division Garrison, Brigadier General Edet Effiong and Commander 14 Brigade, Brigadier General Olusola Diya, where they saw the hub of illegal oil bunkering, shrouded with cooking pots, boilers, surface reservoirs and huge quantities of illegal products in dug-in reservoirs carefully concealed, under the thick forest with interconnected pipes spanning several kilometers.
“The crime scene points to the fact that it is an organized crime that has been running for a long period, owing to the huge investment made to sabotage the national economy”.
“The GOCs who jointly addressed the troops charged them to ensure all illegal bunkering sites are destroyed. They also re-echoed the President and Commander-in-Chief’s directive on zero tolerance for illegal oil bunkering, charging troops to sustain the operational tempo against this mindless criminality.
The GOCs said that if this illegality is allowed to continue, it will affect the Nigerian economy gravely. Additionally, it is believed that the proceeds from these illegalities are used to fund other crimes. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to deny the enemies of the state freedom of action and ensure that these streams of funding are completely dismantled,” the statement added.
Similarly, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division Nigerian Army/ Land Component Commander, Joint Task Force, South South, Operation DELTA SAFE, Major General Jamal Abdussalam has underscored the importance of creating an enabling environment for oil and gas business to thrive in the Niger Delta Region (NDR).
He made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku at his office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The GOC stated that 6 Division, Nigerian Army (NA), was established essentially to protect Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure and to deter militancy and criminality in the Niger Delta Region.
He emphasized the importance of oil and gas to the Nigerian economy, adding that without security, exploration activities will be jeopardized.
The GOC assured that the Division under his watch will continue to ensure that oil production is sustained for the benefit of Nigeria.
He further stated that his visit was also to solicit support for the completion of the NA Jetty at Effurun, Delta State. He restated that the Jetty will enable the NA to deploy critical assets that will assist in the effective patrol to secure water ways to deter criminals.
Major General Abdussalam assert that securing the water ways will be a win-win situation for the army and, indeed, the local population and will above all fall rightly with the objective of sustainable development of NDDC in the region.
He also solicited intervention programs across all the barracks in the region.
Responding, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, stated that the foundation of development is peace and security. He said peace and development are intertwined, adding that peace is required for development to be sustained.
The MD appreciated the army and other security agencies for ensuring peace in the Niger Delta and assured that the NDDC will address the issues raised by the GOC and treats them as a matter of urgency.
