The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has launched a new joint monitoring team aimed at strengthening military operations in Nigeria’s South-South region, focusing on combating oil theft.
According to The PUNCH, this initiative follows recent actions by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which reported intercepting three boats loaded with oil and arresting seven individuals near Woji and Iwofe, areas on the periphery of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, it was disclosed that the Chief of Defence Staff, during the inauguration of the team, emphasized that the new unit’s creation is a strategic move to bolster the Federal Government’s ambition of achieving a daily oil production target of 2.2 million barrels.
“The CDS highlighted that the role of the monitoring teams is to optimize military and security agency operations within the oil-producing region,” Gusau’s statement read. “The objective is to assess military performance and report to commanders for improvement.”
Musa underscored the importance of collaboration among the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies, which has already led to notable improvements in daily oil production in the region.
He instructed the team to work closely with the Joint Task Force, South-South Operation Delta Safe, and various security agencies and stakeholders within the oil sector to ensure effective and seamless operations.
“The team is aware of President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to increase oil production to 2.2 million barrels per day. Securing critical national infrastructure and oil-producing areas, as well as collaborating with oil companies to maximize production by December, are vital components of their mandate,” the statement added.
Maj. Gen. Jamiu Jimoh, who will head the Defence Monitoring Team, acknowledged the considerable support and cooperation from the troops and other security agencies operating in the region.
He committed to working tirelessly to meet the President’s production target of 2.2 million barrels per day.
