The Commander of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), code named Operation Pulo Shield, Maj- Gen. Johnson Ochoga, yesterday disclosed that his two-year security campaign has led to the reduction of crude theft from 9.5million barrels to 1.5million barrels per day.
Ochoga, who retired from the Nigerian Army yesterday, stated this in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, when he handed over the mantle of leadership of JTF to Maj-Gen. Bata Debiro. He said though the challenges were enormous but his men fared well within the mandate given to it by the Defence Headquarters to end the excessive theft of crude oil, sea piracy and other crimes in the creeks and waterways of the Niger Delta region.
Addressing a parade of guard mounted by the men of the Task Force at the JTF headquarters in Yenagoa, Maj-Gen. Ochoga said the security outfit had achieved a lot under his leadership but noted that the difficult terrain and daring manner of the oil thieves complicated the task for his personnel. “If you want to sustain the fight, you must be alive.
We have done well so far. In terms of discipline, there is no organisation that is devoid of black sheep. But, we have sustained our zero tolerance to crime and acts of indiscipline.”