The Delta State Government has strengthened its maritime security operations by inducting a new security support vessel to help combat oil theft, illegal bunkering and other crimes on the state’s waterways.
The vessel, SSV-KALI 3, was inducted on Tuesday at the Yade Barge, Niger River Bank, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the state, by the Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme, who represented Governor Sheriff Oborevwori at the ceremony.
Oborevwori said the deployment of the vessel would boost efforts to secure waterways and protect critical oil and gas infrastructure across the state.
The governor, in a statement at the event, said improved maritime security was essential to protecting investments, increasing production and creating a safer environment for businesses operating in the oil and gas sector, adding that the vessel would support security agencies in tackling oil theft, illegal bunkering and other activities that could undermine the state’s economy.
“SSV-KALI 3 will add valuable capacity to these efforts; it will strengthen maritime security, help protect oil and gas assets, and support the fight against oil theft, illegal bunkering and other maritime crimes,” Oborevwori said.
The governor noted that the vessel was particularly significant because it was designed and constructed in the state, describing it as evidence of the state’s technical expertise and industrial capacity.
He also commended the partnership between Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited and the Nigerian Navy, saying such collaboration demonstrated the importance of local content in strengthening Nigeria’s economy.
