Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru Abubabar, on Thursday said that activities of oil theft, illegal crude oil refining and kidnapping in the Niger Delta is aided by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region.
The Minister, who spoke while delivering a keynote address at the opening of the 13th National Security Seminar 2024 organized by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (NDC) Abuja, said that crude oil theft and illegal crude oil refining are serious crimes against the nation, the economy and the citizenry, and government will not tolerate such crimes.
The seminar served as a platform for addressing critical National Security issues and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
Speaking on the theme of the Seminar “Curbing oil theft and illegal crude oil Refining in Nigeria,” Badaru emphasized the need for decisive action to combat crude oil theft, illegal refining, and kidnappings.
Stressing the importance of implementing comprehensive strategies to end these activities and restore normalcy to affected communities, the Defence Minister said: “We must continue to broaden the use of appropriate technology in warfare to enhance our situation awareness and execution.These are essential to ensuring that life in the Niger Delta, especially the host communities, return to normalcy.”
According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence Director of Information and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike, Badaru, while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to national security, also acknowledged the sacrifices of the Armed Forces and other agencies in tackling insecurity in Nigeria.
The statement noted that the Miniser stated that “the significant increase in crude oil production was as a result of the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
The Minister acknowledged the support of President Tinubu towards the Armed Forces, saying that the successes recorded was as a result of Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda on security of the nation.
Furthermore, he commended the organisers of the seminar Alumni Association of National Defence College (AANDC) for bringing these issues to the fore and added that efforts are being made to achieve the desired national objectives.