NEWS
Operation Delta Sanity: Navy Destroy Three Illegal Refining Site, Laden With Stolen Crude
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) FORMOSO in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, have destroyed illegal refineries sites laden with about 50,000L of products suspected to be stolen crude oil.
The operation was conducted from Sunday 28- 30 Tuesday January 2024 in Bayelsa.
The operation which was in line with the recently launched Nigerian Navy Operation Delta Sanity, to put an end to illegal oil theft and bunkering activities within the maritime domain.
In a statement signed and issued to newsmen on Wednesday, by the Commanding Officer Forward Operating Base FORMOSO, Captain Murtala Aminu Rogo, said Forward Operating Base FORMOSO, carried out a three days patrol along Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Tebidaba – Brass pipeline.
On 29 January 2024 at about 0845, the Team located one illegal refinery site and a wooden boat laden with about 20,000 litres of product suspected to be crude oil at Latitude 04°30’38″N Longitude 006°14’51″E, Galubakiri Creek, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
“While in the heat of the patrol, on the same day at about 1130, another illegal refinery site was also located laden with about 17,000 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil at position Latitude 04°31’51″N Longitude 006°15’58″E around Mbiakpaba, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
“Accordingly, in line with the extant Rules of Engagement, both illegal refinery sites and the boat were appropriately handled,” the statement reads.
Furthermore, on 30 January 2024, the Team conducted patrol around Obama, Igbikiba, Igbomotoru, and Tebidaba General Area. During the patrol, the Team intercepted two wooden boats with remnant of product suspected to be stolen crude oil at position Latitude 04°28’30″N Longitude 006°5’49″E Diebu Creek, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa” the statement further stated.
He added that while combing other creeks around the pipeline, the Team discovered another illegal refinery site laden with about 15,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and 5 locally made iron ovens at position Latitude 04°32’4″N Longitude 005º56’38″E Biabagbene Southern Ijaw LGA.
“Pertinently the illegal refinery site was handled appropriately while the ovens were dismantled accordingly,” he stated.
The Commanding Officer, affirmed that the ‘operation is geared towards combing and clearing creeks, and channels as well as other places within the Base Area of Operations while further investigations into the criminal networks associated with these illegal refinery’s sites are on-going.
He further asserted that the operation marks a significant step in actualising the objectives of Operation Delta Sanity which are to combat Crude Oil Theft and illegal oil bunkering.
The statement stated that under Operation Delta Sanity, the Nigeria Navy has come all out and is poised more than ever to rid the Niger Delta of crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in line with the strategic directives of the CNS, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
He enjoined the public to cooperate with the Nigerian Navy by providing any relevant information that would aid in the ongoing efforts to dismantle these criminal networks.
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).
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