Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has pledged to punish any officer caught involved in oil theft.
He said this during a visit to the the Niger Delta region on Wednesday, in company of the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, and Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri.
This comes as President Bola Tinubu has mandated security agents to end activities of oil theft and illicit oil activities in the Niger Delta, within six months.
This directive came amidst escalating concerns over the economic and environmental impacts of oil theft.
Speaking at the event, the CDS gave commanders two weeks in the region to clampdown on oil thieves sabotaging the country’s economic resources. He acknowledged that the president is not happy over the persistent activities of vandals and oil thieves in the Niger Delta.
“The president said it in clear terms; he is not happy and says it is our responsibility and has given us six months. For me as Chief of Defence Staff, I’m taking two months, for you commanders here on ground, I’m giving you two weeks. It is not going to be business as usual,” he stated.
“If you were doing anything before and getting away with it, please let it stop. We are all here to show you the seriousness we have for this. Don’t make yourself a scapegoat. It is my policy to take everybody and carry everybody along but when you cross the line, you are on your own. So let me make that very, very clear.”
According to Lokpobiri who spoke to journalists, he said the country currently produces about 1.5 million barrels of crude oil per day and has the capacity to produce between 2million and 2.5million.
