Yenagoa, Oct. 11, 2024 (TheGavel) — The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has praised the efforts of the Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), for their success in protecting oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.
During his maiden operational visit to the JTF Headquarters in Igbogene, Yenagoa, on Friday, the minister acknowledged the significant achievements made by the troops in combating oil theft and vandalism. He noted that from February 2024 to date, the JTF had successfully deactivated 1,129 illegal refineries, a notable accomplishment in the ongoing fight against oil-related crimes.
Badaru further highlighted other key successes, including the destruction of 1,115 storage facilities and 750 large wooden boats used in transporting stolen crude oil. Additionally, the task force arrested 265 vehicles used in conveying crude oil and illegally refined products (IR), along with 894 suspects involved in various criminal activities. The destruction of 14 militant and sea robbers’ camps was also part of their achievements.
The minister revealed that, in the last three months, Nigeria’s crude oil production had averaged 1.7 million barrels per day (BPD). He shared that most of the pipelines were delivering at nearly full capacity, with some operating at 95-96 percent, indicating that most illegal connections had been dismantled.
“I want to encourage you to sustain these efforts,” Badaru said, urging the troops to strive towards increasing production to two million barrels per day by the end of 2024 and at least 2.5 million barrels by mid-2025.
He assured the troops of continued support from President Bola Tinubu, expressing gratitude for their dedication to safeguarding the nation’s oil resources. The minister emphasized the need to improve oil production, which had been declining over time, and called for sustained efforts to reverse the trend. (NAN)
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