Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, on Monday declared that the country is bleeding economically and every effort must be made to halt crude oil theft and other economic sabotage going on in Niger Delta.
General Musa, who spoke when while inspecting the Merchant Tanker (MT) Kali arrested by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd (TSSNL) and other security agencies at Oporoza, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, stated: “The country is bleeding. We need all the funds required for this country to grow and develop. And it’s only by stopping these criminals that it will be possible.”
Last Thursday, operatives of TSSNL and NSCDC intercepted MT Kali with stolen crude oil along Bayelsa creeks. On board were a crew led by Captain David Adeboye and Promise Eze who disclosed their boss as one Adeniyi.
Musa, flanked by top military and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) officials during the inspection of the vessel loaded with over 119 tonnes of crude oil, promised to deal ruthlessly with oil thieves and their sponsors, adding that the arrested vessel would be destroyed following standard practice to serve as a deterrent to others.
Musa, however, urged the media to refrain from creating disaffection between government security agencies and the three private security agencies working together to achieve the same goal.
According to the CDS: “We’re here based on the report of the arrest of the ship that we’re on. And I think it’s a major achievement. It shows that we’re committed to ensuring that we stop this criminality within the maritime environment.
“This is a collaborative effort, and we will continue to collaborate with the NNPCL, the others, private security for justice. The main Federal Government agencies are also working together. I don’t want a situation where we create a seamless enmity between this group and that group.
“There is no immutability loss. We’re working for the same goal; we’re all Nigerians; this is our country. Whatever is happening here is acts of criminality that must be stopped by all Nigerians. So we want to make that very clear that all Nigerians must put hands on deck to ensure that we stop these acts.
“The country is bleeding. We need all the funds required so that this country can grow and develop, and it’s just by stopping these criminals that will make that very possible. So, why we’re here is to come and see for ourselves. The Chief of Defence Intelligence is going to go straight into an investigation as to who is involved, what was taken, who sent them. And this to the base because we want to not only catch the perpetrators.
“These ones are just the ground troops that are being used; the main actors are there behind, and that’s what I want to start doing. I want to use this opportunity to warn all those that don’t want to talk this that Enough is enough.”
General Musa further asserted that “the Armed Forces, security agencies, the communities, private security agencies, wherever they are, they are contracted as long as they’re contracted by the Federal Government. We’re going to work together as a team. There’s not going to be any competition between us,. And please, the media should stop making it look as if it is a fight; there is no fight.
“Whatever arrest has been done is done by all the collaborators. And we’re going to continue to do that. And so that is very important. We’re happy this has been arrested. We’re going to take it off from here, and we’re going to do more because henceforth we’re going to enhance our collaboration and our jointness in ensuring that we check this menace.
“Nigeria must grow. Individuals cannot hold us back. They’re busy, very few individuals that are making a profit from this. And they don’t want to stop because I would have expected that by now from all the actions that have been taken to distract people from doing it. But you can see that people are still hell-bent on coming to steal our crude for their selfish gain, and that must stop.
“So I want to thank you for this opportunity that we’re here. And to make it very clear that we are all working together as a team. We will enhance this capacity, and this year we will ensure that Nigeria’s oil production goes up as much as possible so that we can all benefit as Nigerians.”
