The Chief of Naval Staff says that the recent oil pipeline vandalism in Warri, Delta State is sabotage and terrorism and will not be tolerated by the Navy.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas made the statement on Wednesday at a lecture with participants of Course 24 of the National Defence College in Abuja, who came from various security agencies in Nigeria.
He said that a close inspection of the explosion revealed that the intention of the saboteurs was not to steal crude oil but to damage the oil facilities which infringes on a primary mandate of the Navy and would be taken seriously.
While listing the core mandate and challenges of the Nigerian Navy, the naval boss maintained that no efforts would be spared in securing the lives and property of the citizens.
He also proposed the establishment of special courts and tribunals to tackle crimes in the maritime sector.
Also speaking on the importance of strategic information to national security, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri, observed that a continuous synergy between the people, government and security agencies was important in the fight against insurgency.
He proposed the creation of a national communication strategy to be used across national spaces, stressing that security orientation and behavioural modification must be sustained to ensure that the right impact was made on the citizens towards lasting security in Nigeria.
The attacks on the pipelines forced the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to shut down the refineries in Port Harcourt and Kaduna, a development that could further worsen the scarcity of fuel faced by many states of the oil-rich nation.
But the NNPC gave the assurance that arrangements had been made to ensure availability of petroleum products while it sought solution.
