- The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has begun consultation with security agencies on how to use drones to monitor the movement of oil bearing vessels across the nation’s territorial waters.
- It was learnt that the corporation would partner with the Nigerian military, navy, police and the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps for the purpose and would soon commence the deployment of drones in a bid to meet its target of halting oil theft in the next eight months.
- Sources at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the corporation told our correspondent on Sunday that the NNPC had commenced talks with the relevant security agencies, less than one week after the national oil firm’s boss announced the plan.
“The NNPC boss announced last week and the corporation has started meeting the necessary security agencies on the matter. In fact, the drone deployment will be done soon because the target of the corporation is to stop oil theft in the next eight months,” a senior official atthe petroleum ministry, who pleaded not to be named as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said.