The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta says it has reviewed its strategy in tackling oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the region.
The JTF Commander, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, on Sunday told the News Agency of Nigeria in Igbomatoru, Bayelsa, that the new strategy “involves working on winning the hearts of oil communities.”
He said the JTF had been embarking on advocacy campaigns against oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta with the aim of enlisting the support of oil bearing communities.
Atewe explained that the JTF was adopting the plan of changing the minds of residents in oil communities through advocacy on the ills of oil theft.
According to him, the task force is also showing love to the community by embarking on projects to prove that “we are not an army of occupation.”
“I have just inaugurated a water scheme for Igbomatoru and donated football kits to encourage them to form football teams.
“When we visited here sometime in July last year, we discovered that they had acute need for water and we pledged to give them a borehole which had been ready since December last year.
“This approach of advocacy has yielded positive results by way of giving us useful information that has enabled us to round up oil thieves.
“The people have seen the negative effects caused by oil thieves.
“We have found out that with the support of the people, we can easily isolate those involved in illegalities and deal decisively with them,” Atewe said.
