Oil theft: Chief of Defense Staff seeks partnership to combat menace in Bayelsa

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, has sought for communities and traditional rulers’ partnership to combat crude oil theft and kidnapping in Bayelsa State.

Irabor said this on Wednesday when he paid a courtesy visit to King Edmond Daukoru of Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State before interacting with men on special duty.

The CDS, however, commended the security efforts of the traditional rulers of Nembe Kingdom, in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

This was the second time the CDS was visiting the Operation Delta Safe, of the Joint Task Force (JTF), since he assumed office.

He said he and his team were in Bayelsa in recognition of the crucial role of the government and the traditional rulers, in accommodating and strengthening the operations of the country’s armed forces.

The CDS added that the visit was also to solidify the partnership between both parties, particularly in combating oil theft, kidnapping and the destruction of oil facilities across the state.

The defence chief said that any form of destruction of the nation’s oil investment was a direct attack on the future of the country’s oil wealth.

He thanked Daukoru, for his unrelenting support to the military and other security agencies.

Speaking, King Edmond Daukoru, the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, commended the CDS, and other Senior Military Officers who accompanied him on the visit.

He described as unfair the collusion of oil firms and regulatory bodies against the interest of host communities in the Niger Delta region.

Daukoru, former Minister of Petroleum for State, said that part of the security challenges in the host communities were the injustice and unfair treatments by the oil companies aided by the regulatory authorities.

He recalled that the last year November, an oil and gas spillage in Nembe LGA, by AITEO Exploration and Production Limited facility, eventually resulted in litigation due to the manner the company and the regulatory bodies treated the impacted communities.

He said Aiteo was yet to pay the balance of N1.5 billion owed to the community and urged the army Chief to help persuade the authority to pay the money.

He said Nembe had been peaceful due to the local vigilante group, put in place by the community adding that his kingdom was open to collaborating, synergising and strengthening the existing relationship with the security agencies.