By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru Abubakar, has identified the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Niger Delta as some of the causes of oil theft, illegal crude oil refining and kidnapping in the region.
Barr. Henshaw Ogubike, Director, Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Defence stated this in a press release on Thursday.
He said the Minister made the observation while delivering a keynote address at the opening of the 13th National Security Seminar 2024 organized by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College in Abuja.
The seminar served as a platform for addressing critical National Security issues and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
Badaru said that crude oil theft and illegal crude oil refining are serious crimes against the nation, economy and the citizenry, and government will not tolerate such crimes.
Speaking on the theme of the Seminar: “Curbing oil theft and illegal crude oil Refining in Nigeria”, Badaru emphasized the need for decisive action to combat crude oil theft, illegal refining, and kidnappings. He stressed the importance of implementing comprehensive strategies to end these activities and restore normalcy to affected communities.
“We must continue to broaden the use of appropriate technology in warfare to enhance our situation awareness and execution.These are essential to ensuring that life in the Niger Delta, especially the host communities, return to normalcy,” he said.
“While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for his commitment to national security, he also acknowledged the sacrifices of the Armed Forces and other agencies in tackling insecurity in Nigeria. He said that the significant increase in crude oil production was as a result of the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“The Minister acknowledged the support of President Tinubu towards the Armed Forces, saying that the successes recorded was as a result of Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda on security of the nation.
“Furthermore, he commended AANDEC for bringing these issues to the fore and added that efforts are being made to achieve the desired national objectives.”
