The Group Chief Executive Officer NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari has stated that the federation government had set up a special court to expedite the trials of criminal elements involved in oil theft and pipeline vandalization in the Niger Delta region.
He stated this while addressing troops of the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe, in Effurun, Delta State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday,
Kyari applauded the troops for the excellent work they were doing to restore confidence in the pipelines, said he was sure that full confidence would be restored in crude oil production in the shortest possible time.
He also expressed confidence in the collaboration between security agencies and the private security company contracted by the NNPC Limited in the campaign to restore full confidence in the sector.
Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security agencies to eradicate crude oil theft and pipeline vandalization in the Niger Delta region before May 29, 2023, saying the government will no longer tolerate the criminality.
He said Nigeria can no longer tolerate the activities of the criminals who have through their criminalities destabilized crude oil productions in the last couple of years.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who represented the President said, “Mr President has mandated us to eradicate crude oil theft. He has directed that no liter of crude oil should be stolen in the country again especially in the South south. He wants crude oil thieves completely eliminated by May 29 2023 as one of the legacies of his government. This is the message from Mr President. We are not where we want to be but we are happy at what we are seeing
“We are here to ask you to redouble your efforts so that we will be able to tell Nigerians and the President that we have zero tolerance for crude oil thieves,” the minister stated further.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor in his remarks urged the troops to remain steadfast in the campaign to stamp out crude oil thieves in the country.