(Ecofin Agency) - The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Security Agencies have made a solemn promise to deploy drone technology in order to stem crude and petroleum products theft across the country.

The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu stated this during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defense Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin in the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

Dr. Kachikwu told oil and gas press that the improved collaboration would enable the Nigerian Army Engineering Corps take over the pipelines surveillance from the Nigeria Police Force stressing that the Engineering Corps would also be saddled with the responsibility of maintaining the pipelines.

The GMD stated that the NNPC is willing to equip the Nigerian Navy with state-of-the-art boats that would enable it track and monitor every oil bearing vessel that comes in and out of the Nigeria water ways.

The NNPC helmsman however noted that unless the trend of ceaseless crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism is curbed, “the amount of resources lost is so huge that it is now an emergency to deploy every weapon in our arsenal to battle the scourge.”

In response, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin expressed the readiness of the Nigerian military to support the NNPC to secure its oil installations across the country stressing that the NNPC and the Nigerian military are all critical stakeholders in the project called Nigeria.