NNPC GCEO Tasks Military To Sustain Onslaught Against Crude Oil Theft

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Engr. Mele Kyari, on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, called on the Nigerian military to sustain the war against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

Kyari, who made the call when the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa paid him a courtesy visit, noted that the current onslaught against the menace has yielded improved growth in the nation’s crude oil production.

He said that with the military onslaught, the NNPC Ltd has reached a new peak in production that it hasn’t seen in the last three years.

A statement by the Chief Communications Officer of the NNPC Ltd, Mr Olufemi Soneye, quoted Kyari as saying; “This is clearly related to the sustained efforts by the armed forces and other security agencies to protect our critical assets, particularly the pipeline infrastructure in specified areas where we are working closely with these agencies.

“We are already seeing the results transforming into increased production,” he said.

While commending General Musa and his team for their unwavering commitment to securing the nation’s critical hydrocarbon assets especially in the Niger Delta region in recent months, Kyari said that the achievements wer not only crucial to Nigeria but also to the global energy community.

The GCEO of NNPC Ltd expressed confidence that the Chief of Defence Staff and his team will deliver on the Presidential mandate to mitigate security-related challenges affecting the nation’s crude oil production, adding that components of the effort that depend on security are being effectively managed by the military.

According to Kyari; “Your coordinated and focused response is paving the way for improved security engagement, particularly in the Niger Delta”.

Speaking earlier, General Musa, who led other top military officers on the courtesy call, said it was intended to introduce the Monitoring Team to the NNPC Ltd, which will be responsible for interfacing with the Company and other stakeholders in the oil-producing regions to secure the nation’s critical hydrocarbon infrastructure.

The CDS pledged the commitment of the military towards improving security and assured that the performance of troops will be sustained as well as enhance their performance to bolster productivity.

Musa said; “Working in silos won’t give us the best results. I want to assure you that we will collaborate with the necessary stakeholders to achieve our set targets as mandated by Mr. President”.