NIGERIA, CAMEROON TO FIGHT SEA PIRATES ; NIGERIAN NAVY CHAMPION DRASTIC CURB IN ILLEGAL OIL BUNKERING

NNS Andoni P100, a 31 metre patrol ship crafted with pride in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

SUNDAY SUN
29 June, 2014

The Nigerian Navy has hinted that plans are on the way to form a synergy with Cameroon to tackle the activities of sea pirates in Nigerian waterways. The navy also indicated that illegal oil bunkering, particularly in the Niger Delta region, has been drastically reduced in the last five months.

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jubrin, stated this during his visit to naval formations in Rivers State. Vice Admiral Jubrin, while addressing officers and men of NNS Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, pointed out that sea piracy in Nigerian waterways was caused by the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

According to him, there was disaffection from the affected people, which had given rise to sea piracy. Also, the navy boss said illegal oil bunkering had reduced from 4.2 million barrels to barely 1 million barrels monthly and noted that oil theft, bunkering, illegal fishing as well as sea piracy remained serious challenges within the country’s maritime environment.

“By the time I assumed office, there were some challenges like oil theft,illegal bunkering, illegal fishing and piracy in the maritime environment. “I made a promise that with the cooperation of all of you,we can check these social vices within our maritime environment. With your support, we have recorded huge success in meeting the expectation of the Nigerian Navy. We have reduced oil theft to the barest minimum;what used to be about 4.2 million barrels lost monthly has been reduced to barely 1 million barrels a month.”

While appreciating the efforts of the Navy and other security agencies in the fight against oil theft,he said the Federal Government would appreciate the force more, when its efforts were translated to improved revenue for the government.