The European Union Deputy Head of Mission to Nigeria, Zissimos Vergos, has called for the elimination of the factors contributing to criminality in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
He stated that the EU would endorse inclusive community methods to tackle the underlying factors of violence in the Niger Delta region.
A recent report by Partnership Initiative for the Niger Delta revealed that Militancy/illegal oil bunkering-related clashes, kidnapping for ransom, communal conflict, mob violence, clashes between rival cult gangs, organized criminality, and separatist are the most prevalent crimes in the region.
Speaking at the launch of a peace promotion project, tagged ”A Community Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta” in Abuja on Thursday, Vergos called for a paradigm shift in addressing the scourge.
He said, “We all know we cannot address the structural problems of the Niger Delta region directly, but what we can do is highlight the paradigm shift and the theory of change that can convince a lot of people.
“Out of our interest in seeing Nigeria achieve its status as the giant of Africa, what we can do as a partner is bring resources to the table so that Nigerian partners can work around their challenges. This is very important to highlight.
Zissimos commended the consortium partners, Stakeholders Democracy Network, Academic Associate Peace Works, and Partnership Initiative for the Niger Delta for working together to propose an alternative narrative to the interference of violence prevailing in the region.
The minister of Niger Delta, Engineer Abubakar Momoh, who his special assistant, James Khanoba, represented, expressed hope that the project would yield the desired impact.
He said, “We hope that the ‘Community Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta’ project serves as a compass that guides government towards a more holistic understanding of the problem in the region and the potential pathways to sustainable solutions.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy on Tuesday disclosed that there is a noticeable reduction in the tempo of crude oil theft and other maritime crimes in the Niger Delta region.
The outgone Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Chindo Yahaya, while speaking during a farewell parade organised in his honour at the Warri Naval Base, specifically stated that the negative trends “have reduced drastically in its areas of operations.”
Yahaya recalled that he assumed office on May 2, 2023, as the 13th Commander of the NNS Delta, noting that despite the myriad of challenges, his tenure had recorded resounding successes in its areas of operations; including the destruction of illegal refining sites and arrest of sea pirates/robbers.
He averred that the Base anti-crude oil theft operatives apprehended several suspects with offences bordering on crude oil theft and improper documentation, adding that some vessels were also apprehended and consequently handed over to the anti-graft agency and other relevant authorities for appropriate prosecutions, during his tenure of office.
He affirmed that the NNS Delta also participated in various clearance operations and exercises in line with the Base’s mandate of securing the maritime environment to enhance economic activities.