By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The High Command of the Nigerian Navy (NN), said that perpetrators of oil theft, are sponsoring malicious media campaigns, to distract its attention from the ongoing anti-crude oil theft operations in the creeks of the Niger Delta.
Naval Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said this in a statement in Abuja.
He also expressed surprise that these ignorant publications, aimed at distracting the Navy are sponsored by the soon-to-be-arrested criminals involved in oil theft who are feeling the impact of the Nigerian Navy’s renewed fight towards eradicating the menace of oil theft.
He noted that Operation DAKAR TA DABARWO, Operation CALM WATERS, Operation NCHEKWE OSHIMILI and Exercise SEA GUARDIAN among others, are past and ongoing operations and exercises designed to curb maritime criminalities and particularly oil theft.
The Navy’s effort, he said, has been visible leading to an increase in oil production in the last six months as rightly reported by relevant authorities and the media.
Rear Admiral Ayo-Vaughan, said that the Navy under the able and focused leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla will not be deterred by the malicious and misguided propaganda in the media.
The sponsored campaigns of calumny, he said, will not deter the NN from carrying out her constitutionally enshrined roles in the interest of the National economy.
The Naval spokesperson said: “The attention of the Naval Headquarters has been drawn to the untoward activities of some desperate individuals/organizations engaged in sponsoring fraudulent and unsubstantiated publications in some mainstream media and online news platforms against the ongoing effort of the Nigerian Navy (NN) towards eradicating the menace of crude oil theft and other forms of illegalities in the Nation’s maritime domain. It has been observed that their modus operandi includes sourcing the services of third-party agents/sectional egoists to discredit the reinvigorated stance of the NN in the fight against crude oil theft.
“Ordinarily, the NN would not have responded to such baseless assertions, but it has become necessary to prevent gullible members of the public from being misinformed by the erroneous publications. Suffice to state that the NN in the discharge of her statutory responsibilities as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will continue to work tirelessly for the betterment of the nation’s maritime security. It is on record that the NN has always worked harmoniously with all maritime stakeholders nationally, regionally and internationally. The coming on board of Private Maritime stakeholders for the protection of critical onshore economic assets in the sole interest of the nation’s economy is a known development provided professionalism and Standard Operating Procedures are upheld strictly. Hence, it is a complete fallacy to allege to the contrary via sponsored ill-conceived and uncorroborated publications”.
He said that the NN as the Lead Agency for the security of Nigeria’s Maritime Environment has been at the forefront of galvanizing legitimate maritime stakeholders for the collective fight against crude oil theft.
He added that NN operations against crude oil theft in 2023 affected the arrest of 23 ships, over 233 suspects, 690 wooden boats with stolen crude oil and products and over 703 illegal refining sites were destroyed.
“Also, tens of barges, 82 vehicles and tanker trucks were arrested and crude oil and Petroleum products amounting to over N105 billion were confiscated and denied oil thieves,” he said.
Noting that appropriate prosecuting agencies are in the custody of all arrested suspects, the service concluded by enjoining the public to jettison the highly unpatriotic publications.
