By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru Abubabar, has said that activities of oil theft, illegal crude oil refining and kidnapping in the Niger Delta are aided by proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
The Minister made this disclosure, 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 in Abuja.
Director of Press, Ministry of Defence, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, in a statement said the seminar served as a platform for addressing critical national security issues and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
The Minister said that crude oil theft and illegal crude oil refining are serious crimes against the nation, economy and the citizenry, and government will not tolerate such crimes.
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.
He stressed the importance of implementing comprehensive strategies to end these activities and restore normalcy to affected communities.
“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,” he said.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to national security, Mr. Badaru also acknowledged the sacrifices of the Armed Forces and other security agencies in tackling insecurity in Nigeria.
He said 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.
He also applauded AANDEC for bringing the issues to the fore, adding that efforts are being made to achieve the desired national objectives.
