Odita Sunday 
Defence minister seeks stronger military-oil sector partnership to curb crude theft
By Odita Sunday
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Gwabin Musa, has called for closer collaboration between the Armed Forces, security agencies and operators in the oil and gas industry to strengthen the protection of critical national assets and boost crude oil production.
The minister made the call during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held at Port Harcourt Barracks, Rivers State, under the framework of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), according to a statement on Thursday by the Ministry of Defence’s Public Relations Officer, Captain Moses Yare.
Musa said improved intelligence sharing, stronger operational synergy and coordinated responses were essential to tackling security threats affecting oil production and critical infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
Discussions at the meeting reviewed existing security arrangements and identified the absence of an approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for collaboration among pipeline and infrastructure companies, Operation Delta Safe and other security agencies as a major challenge affecting effective coordination.
The stakeholders also raised concerns over threats from some host communities, insider collaboration with criminal elements, delays in repairing damaged oil facilities and the vulnerability of abandoned infrastructure, noting that the challenges continue to fuel crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
The meeting reaffirmed the need for sustained collaboration among government, security agencies and industry operators to safeguard Nigeria’s strategic oil and gas assets.
Participants also acknowledged the progress recorded by Operation Delta Safe in improving security in the Niger Delta and called for stronger partnerships to consolidate the gains.
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