Aregbesola inaugurates 8 gunboats to combat oil theft

By Kelechi Ogunleye

Minister of Inside, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated eight gunboats for the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Tuesday as a part of efforts to curb oil theft within the Niger Delta.

NSCDC’s spokesman, Mr Olusola Odumosu, said in Abuja that the inauguration passed off in Port Harcourt to additionally finish unlawful oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.

He added that Aregbesola mentioned the transfer grew to become essential to strengthen the combative capability of the NSCDC’s Anti-Vandalism Squad in stemming large income losses to the Federal Authorities within the oil sector.

In response to Aregbesola, oil theft has been ridding Nigeria of revenues working to thousands and thousands of {dollars} yearly.

He referred to as on safety businesses to shun inter-agency rivalries and synergise to help the combat in opposition to oil theft to rid the nation of financial saboteurs.

The minister charged the NSCDC because the lead company in safeguarding the nation’s essential nationwide property and infrastructure to make use of obtainable logistics offered by the Federal Authorities to cut back crime price.

“By extension take the warfare in opposition to crude oil theft to the camp of the enemy,’’ he mentioned.

In his remarks, NSCDC Commandant-Common, Mr Ahmed Audi, asserted that the gunboats would increase the morale of the corps in combating crude oil theft.

He reiterated the corps’ dedication and dedication to the warfare in opposition to unlawful oil bunkering and guaranteed that the gunboats could be distributed to states within the coastal area.

Audi additionally assured of the corps’ dedication to collaborate with the navy and different safety businesses to finish crime. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)