Navy pledges to intensify crackdown on oil theft in Niger Delta

The Nigerian Navy on Saturday vowed to intensify its 'Operation River Sweep' in the Niger Delta in order to rid the region of criminal elements within the maritime environment.

The Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba, stated this during the command's medical outreach to Okunbiri community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

''The Operation River Sweep (ORS) taking place in the region has been a success.

“The idea of introducing the ORS 1 and 2; one in the Eastern Naval Command and another in the Central Naval Command, is to continue to keep pressure on the criminal elements within the maritime environment.

''Through this operation, the Nigerian Navy will be able to contain the nefarious activities of criminals in the area adequately.'' Garba said.

On sea piracy, the FOC said that apart from few isolated cases, the Navy and other sister security organisations had successfully minimised their criminal activities.

''Sea piracy has never been rampant. I will say we are doing our best to ensure that we keep the waterways safe for legitimate activities to take place,'' he stated.

Declaring the medical exercise open at Okunbiri, Garba said the programme was part of the command’s corporate social responsibility to her its communities, saying that was the ninth edition of the programme.

He said the focus of the programme had been shifted to riverside communities and non-motorable villages who did not have access to good medical services.

The FOC called on the rural dwellers to reciprocate the Navy’s gesture by providing useful information that could help security operatives combat crimes, especially in the maritime domains.

Residents were tested and treated for malaria, typhoid fever, diabetes, high blood pressure, hepartitis, among others.

Also, many children were dewormed and given immunisation treatment against polio and other ailments.

Commenting on the gesture, an indigene of the community and former Acting Governor of Bayelsa, Mr. Nestor Binabo, commended the Navy for its gesture.

He confessed that the free medical outreach was the first of its kind in the community, saying that the command came at the right time when many residents found it difficult to access medical care because of poverty.

The former acting governor stated, ''The naval establishment has been here in Bayelsa for sometime but the present FOC of the command is a fantatic person.

''The exercise tells me that the command has the people of Bayelsa at heart. You know, a healthy man is a wealthy man. Today, you can see the number of persons that have come out to get medical examinations and treatments.

“It is no mean feat. We are grateful to the Nigerian Navy for this benevolence.'' He said