Crude Oil Theft: Nigerian Air Force to Intensify Aerial Surveillance, Bombardments in Lagos, Ogun Creeks

As the battle against crude oil theft in Lagos and Ogun States creeks continues, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Monday said it would intensify aerial operations including surveillance and possible bombardments in identified spots in both states.

 

The new Air Officer Commanding(AOC), Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Remigius Ekeh, made this disclosure  after he took over the mantle of leadership of the command in Lagos from Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Yahaya..

Until his appointment, Ekeh was the director of evaluation at the NAF headquarters in Abuja while Yahaya has been posted to the NAF headquarters as the chief of administration.

In a brief ceremony at the command, Yahaya handed over the command's flag to the new AOC after they both signed the handing and taking over notes.

According to him, efforts are ongoing to acquire additional platforms for the force to put in more efforts in securing these areas.

The airforce has in the time past been part of several joint task force in the western flank in the fight against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

One of such operations were Operation Awatse (an Hausa word for scatter) and Operation Jagunlabi, where the airforce provided their aerial power in surveillance before they bombed the platforms erected by the vandals.

He said, "You will recall that just recently, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin was here to inaugurate one of Air Force's platforms; an helicopter.

"These are parts of the efforts the force is doing to ensure that  security issues are taken care of. So the airforce is coming with additional platforms to ensure that we put in more efforts in areas of security."

The new AOC, however, assured the principal staff officers that he would continue from where his predecessor stoped.

He appealed to every one to accord hm the cooperation that the outgoing AOC enjoyed, adding that he would try his best to elevate the command higher.

Earlier on, his predecessor, in his remarks, said the challenges of the command were enormous but he succeeded in surmounting them.

He said, "The challenges I met on my assumption of office was quite enormous. From accommodation problems to deterroriating barrack infrastructure and so on.

"This situations were overwhelming but the marvelous cooperation I enjoyed from my commanders and continuous support from the headquarters helped us to record remarkable achievements."