Rising insecurity in Niger Delta, threat to oil production – Coalition

The federal government has been urged to review the oil pipeline surveillance contracts awarded to non-state actors to boost security architecture in the oil industry.

The Niger Delta chapter of the Coalition of Civil Society Coalition in Nigeria led by Fred Ojinka spoke against the backdrop of persistent oil theft and the recent killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama village, Delta.

The group’s director of publicity, Taiwo Adeleye during a press conference, themed: “The Time for Sanity”, held in Lagos, described insecurity as a threat to oil production in the country.

“We are, however, concerned about the future of oil, livelihood and human security in Nigeria. What will Nigeria look like in the next 15 or 20 years?

“What immediate, short-term, and long-term strategy do we have for oil security and national security? Will Nigerian oil installations continue to be protected by non-state actors? What is the mission of the state actors currently charged with the responsibility of protecting oil assets?,” he lamented.

He stressed that the coalition believes the federal government can employ the services of the country’s military and pipeline protection companies to operate with utmost professionalism.