The Naval Flying Unit, Port Harcourt, which is tasked to operate helicopters in support of the Nigerian Navy surface fleets in the Niger Delta region, has expressed satisfaction over the improved successes so far recorded in the ongoing fight against crude oil theft in the region.
This is just as the Navy vowed that there will no longer be a hiding place for oil thieves in the region.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the ongoing collaborative efforts of the Unit with sister services and other maritime stakeholders had led to the reduction of crude oil theft and environmental pollution.
It was further gathered that the air elements avail the relevant units of the Nigerian Navy units timely and actionable intelligence to curb the nefarious activities of crude oil theft.
The Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Samson Bura, while commending the Command Task Group of Operation Delta Sanity II, on Tuesday, directed “an all-inclusive approach of both kinetic and non-kinetic methods in further tackling the menace”.
The directive followed a flight conducted by operatives of the Naval Flying Unit, Port Harcourt, around BILLE and Ke areas of Rivers state which revealed the impact of the crude oil thieves in degrading the environment and overall deprivation of the nation’s revenue generation.
Bura therefore warned would-be perpetrators of crude oil theft that “there is no hiding place for any one of them”.
According to him, the Naval Flying Unit Port Harcourt is presently “maintaining a deterrence posture by ensuring the continuous surveillance and patrol of the Niger Delta region.”
It would be recalled that the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, who is mandated to police and protection of the Nigerian Maritime Environment, has tasked the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Samson Bura, the Command Task Group of Operation Delta Sanity II, that while fighting the crude oil thieves, they should imbibe all-inclusive approach of both kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
In addition, he had equally mandated the sensitization of the populace on the impact of the crude oil theft stressing that this is also key in the fight against crude theft.
Keying to the Chief of the Naval Staff’s mandate, Bura said the Naval Flying Unit, Port Harcourt, has embarked on the renovation of the State Primary School Rumuomasi school toilets.
“The 10 unit toilets are to avail the opportunity of relaying the Chief of the Naval Staff message of educating the pupils and our larger society of the impact of the crude oil theft,” he said.