Former Military Governor of old Rivers State and Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, Papapreye Alfred Diete-Spiff, has alleged that oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta are perpetrated by non-indigenes.
He made the allegation on Monday when the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code-named “Operation Pulo Shield” led by its Commander, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, paid him a visit at his palace in Twon-Brass, Brass Local Government Area.
The security outfit had taken its advocacy against oil theft among communities in the region to the Brass Kingdom.
Diete-Spiff, therefore, pledged the community’s cooperation with the JTF to flush out pipeline vandals and oil bunkerers in the area.
In his remarks at a town hall-meeting at the Twon-Brass Town Hall, the Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC) of Twon-Brass, Ololo Inatimi, decried the prevalence of crude oil theft in the area.
He said the task force was not doing enough to curb the menace of oil theft and illegal refineries.
Inatimi also lamented the orgy of violence visited on traders and travelers along the waterways by pirates, including killing, stealing and harassment, urging the JTF to tackle the hoodlums head-long.
He said their dastardly operations had adversely affected socio-economic activities as people were afraid of travelling.
He said, “As far as oil theft and pipeline vandalism are concerned, the rate is so minimal. What we have bothering us is the menace of sea piracy and the few isolated cases of oil theft can be linked to the pirates.
“So tackling the pirates will also eliminate oil theft and it will also make way for our people to travel frequently for socio economic purposes”.
Also, Atewe said that the JTF had recommended the legalization of modular refineries in the Niger Delta to provide gainful employment to the teeming youths.
He explained that under the plan, the operators of the artisanal refinery would procure crude legally and refine for local use in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The JTF Commander noted that oil theft deprives the government of revenue and distorts the ecosystem and exposed the environment to toxic materials that negatively affect the health of the residents.
He also said that the security outfit believed in persuasion to get the people see the need the refrain from stealing crude.
Atewe further solicited the support of the communities and urged them to volunteer information to the JTF on the activities.
