The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has commended the Headquarters 6 Division/Land Component Joint Task Force South-South Operation Delta Safe for their ongoing efforts in combating oil theft and other forms of criminality in the region. He noted that the recent increase in oil production is a testament to the special task force’s sustained fight against oil theft.
The minister gave this commendation during his maiden visit to the Nigerian Army 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Badaru highlighted the critical role played by Operation Delta Safe, the Chief of Defence Staff, and, importantly, the unwavering support of President Bola Tinubu in tackling oil theft, which has long plagued the nation. He stressed the importance of joint efforts in eradicating this menace, noting that Nigerians hope oil production can drive the nation’s prosperity.
“What we are doing today is to commend the troops and encourage them to do more and put an end to oil theft in the region,” he said.
The Minister expressed confidence in the detailed plan laid out by the Chief of Defence Staff, which aims to defeat oil theft in the region. “Certainly, we are seeing progress. Oil production has increased, and it will continue to increase. I assure you that before the end of this year, you will see a tremendous rise in oil production,” Badaru stated.
He urged Operation Delta Safe to intensify and enhance existing measures in the Niger Delta region to ensure sustained growth in oil production.
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major-General J.H. Abdussalam, briefed the Minister on the activities of the 6 Division/Land Component Joint Task Force South-South Operation Delta Safe. He stated that the task force has strengthened the fighting capabilities of the troops and implemented robust joint measures to thwart oil thieves and deny freedom of action to criminal groups such as IPOB/ESE.
Abdussalam reaffirmed the Task Force’s commitment to maintaining anti-oil theft operations until the Federal Government’s target of 2 million barrels per day is achieved by December 2024.
