Page 25 - Nigeriaone mag 3 edition en

Oil theft prevention, a major issue for the country

Nigerian Navy Operation

Troubled by the incessant crude information in the Nigerian Na- Navy has actively been fighting
oil theft, pipeline vandalism of vy stated that in the fight against to address the issue of crimi-
oil equipment and installations, illegal refining, crude oil theft nality in the maritime domain.
the Nigerian Navy launched and illegal bunkering, Operation Thus far, they have recorded
Operation Dakatar Da Barawo. It Dakatar Da Barawo has conti- some success in crude oil theft,
is a Hausa phrase that when nued to achieve some remarka- pipeline vandalism, illegal oil
literally interpreted means ‘stop ble success in curbing some of bunkering and stealing of crude
the thieves’ with a directive to the menace. oil products. The value of the
dominate the waterways through He revealed that on the 1st of products is estimated at N30 bil-
vigilant and intelligence-driven June, 2022, the Nigerian Navy lion since June this year.
patrols that is targeted at mitiga- Ship (NNS) in Rivers State inten- Consequently, the naval
ting the theft and preventing the tionally organized a swamp bug- operatives arrested a total of 85
stealing of oil products to other gy operation in some identified suspects, destroyed 275 illegal
countries through the sea. illegal refining sites. The follo- refinery sites, impounded 70
The Nigerian Navy has recorded wing items were destroyed, two boats, 22 tankers and trucks
a significant breakthrough in storage tanks, 6 reservoirs, and destroyed, demolished 125 illegal
crude oil theft, as members of 13 refining ovens. The fleeing refinery ovens, dismantled 100
Operation Dakatar Da Barawo illegal refining merchants left illegal refinery large pits, anni-
recovered an estimated $1.5 behind 3 gas cylinders as they hilated 140 illegal refinery sto-
billion of stolen crude and fled the scene on seeing the rage tanks, recovered 32 pum-
others in the last six months. naval operatives. ping machines and 40 outboard
Commodore Olukayode Ayo- The director of naval informa- engines.
Vaughan, the director of naval tion had mentioned that the Mr Ayo-Vaughan further infor-

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