Navy Moves Against Oil Thieves, Kidnappers

The Central Naval Com
mand (CNC) of the Nigerian Naval Ship (NNS) has restated the warning issued by the Federal Government against economic sabotuers.
The CNC expressed determination to address the problem of pipeline vandals and oil thieves within their areas of responsibility during the handover ceremony of the former Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman to the new FOC, Rear Admiral Tariworio Dick.
Both the new and former FOC in their separate speeches, stated that the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok has put machinery on place to actualise the mandate of the Federal Government to address the problem of oil thieves and pipeline vandals.
Suleman, however stated that the Naval headquarters, which is situated in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, has been fortified with 10 additional patrol boats.
The outgoing FOC  noted that it took the command only seven months to destroy 100 illegal refineries, arrested suspected oil thieves and impounded  vessels used by the vandals to cart away oil products.
He said, “we advise thieves to desist. The command will sanction offenders severely in accordance with the extant rules and regulations”.
Also in his speech, the new FOC, Rear Admiral Dick, promised to deal with oil thieves, pipeline vandals, kidnappers and pirates and appealed for cooperation of the communities by volunteering information.
According to him, “we solicit the communities to provide information for us to act. Those who perpetrate this criminality do not represent any community but they live in communities”.
He stated further, “I am  disturbed by the actions of crude oil thieves because they dig the ground and use it as storage facility. It damages the environment to the extant that our own children may not recover from what they have done, they are not friends and so there should be a whole community approach towards tacking crude oil thieves and pirates”.