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Nigeria's Rivers state vows warships to navy in fight against oil theft

Nigeria's. oilrich Rivers state will offer six gunboats to the navy for. patrols as part of efforts to help fight oil theft, which has. afflicted the area, its governor stated on Wednesday.

Widespread oil theft from pipelines and wells has crippled. Nigeria's oil industry in the last few years, damaging federal government. financial resources and stifling exports.

Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara informed press reporters in Port. Harcourt, the state capital, that Nigeria's current oil output. surge to 1.8 million barrels daily was because of a mix of. state-level initiatives and federal government efforts.

We are donating in the next couple of days six gunboats to the. Nigerian Navy, the closest firm to us in this war against oil. theft, to check this scourge in the challenging surface, and also. release them for local security, Fubara said.

We are not simply depending on the activities of the huge. national committees. We also have our internal mechanism to. checkmate and prevent the vandalisation of these pipelines,. he said.

The warships will enhance the navy's waterway patrols and. response times, especially near submerged oil export pipelines. that are prone to attacks.

Fubara said the state and host communities are essential to. the battle against oil theft, highlighting how their assistance in. pipeline security and vandalism avoidance has enabled the. ongoing rehabilitation of the Trans Niger Pipeline, a key export. link.

Beyond security steps, the state government is investing. in education, health care, and infrastructure in locations vulnerable to. vandalism to supply alternative chances for young people.

We are re-orienting them because we found out that the. average age of the perpetrators of these criminal activities has to do with 15, 16. years, Fubara stated.

(source: Reuters)