The Honourable Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has urged troops of Headquarters Joint Task Force South South Operation Delta Safe to ensure that crude oil theft and other incidental activities are eliminated completely as crude oil production has improved from about 1.5 million to about 1.7 barrels per day.
During his maiden visit to the Headquarters in Bayelsa State, the Minister commended the troops for demobilizing 1,129 illegal refineries from February 2024 till date and praised their sustained fight against oil theft and other criminalities. “Crude oil production has risen to about 1.7 million barrels per day , and I’m confident it will reach about 2m Bpd by December 2024 and to about 2.5 million barrels by middle of next year” he said.
The Minister emphasized the importance of protecting critical national infrastructure and the pipelines which transports barrels of crude oil daily. He praised the troops’ renewed determination and commitment to fighting economic sabotage, oil theft, and illegal refineries.
Rear Admiral JU Okeke, Commandant of Headquarters Joint Task Force South South Operation Delta Safe, reported an 85% drop in crude oil theft and illegal refineries activities in Q2 and Q3 2024, resulting in increased crude oil output from about 1.5 million bpd in June to about 1.7 million bpd in September.
Furthermore, the Honourable Minister while addressing the troops expressed happiness with their operations so far and assured them that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed pride in the troops’ efforts despite challenging terrain and thanked them for their courage , dedication and urged them to do more until we get the result we deserve.
