The Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee, Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State, Commodore Semiu Gbolahan Olubode-Fazaz has expressed a resolve to clampdown on oil bunkering activities along the waterways in the State.
He added that the recent launch of Operation “Dakatar Da Barawo” had helped to achieve the aim, as a lot of arrests and confiscation of illegal crude oil had been made.
Fazaz, who disclosed this on Thursday shortly after the commissioning of a water project in Essene community, noted that the command had chased oil thieves out of their hideouts, where they vandalize federal government’s properties and steal the crude.
According to him, “As you all know, illegal oil bunkering is an old criminality and we are the one fighting it, just recently, to further our efforts in combating the menace of illegal bunkering, NN launched Operation “Dakatar Da Barawo”, and so far, without being immodest, the operation had gone a long way in curbing illegal bunkering in Akwa Ibom State.”
Fazaz, who admitted that oil bunkering had affected Nigeria’s economy drastically, promised to continue to fight the illegality in the waterways.
Speaking on the commissioned project, the commander explained that the project was part of NN’s corporate social responsibility to the host community, adding that NN will do more in other areas.
Meanwhile, Eteidung Godwin Okon, who is the village head of the community, appreciated the Navy for the water project and promised that the community would protect it against vandalism.
