NDDC Inaugurates Naval Base to Check Piracy, Oil Theft, and Other Crimes in Bayelsa
Ayakoro_ In a renewed effort to curb piracy, kidnapping, and oil theft across the riverine and coastal communities of Bayelsa State, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Friday inaugurated a Naval Strategic Location in Ayakoro community, Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the new facility would strengthen the Nigerian Navy’s capacity to sustain its achievements in tackling maritime insecurity and criminal activities in the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku described the location as a major intersection point for several creeks in the region, making it a strategic operational base for securing waterways and combating illicit activities.
“This project represents part of the administration’s commitment to enhancing security in the Niger Delta,” Ogbuku said. “The president’s strategic investment in security has yielded tangible results — crude oil production has risen from one million to 2.2 million barrels per day. This achievement is a testament to improved security, stakeholder engagement, and collective effort.”
He explained that the facility is fully equipped with a naval administrative block, residential accommodation, two gunboats, operational vehicles, and a floating jetty, among other essential infrastructure.
According to him, the project reaffirms the Commission’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing that security and development remain “inseparable pillars of national progress.”
“Every waterway is a potential gateway for criminals to perpetrate crimes,” he noted. “We will not be able to curb criminality until we are able to secure all our waterways. If this axis had not been secured, kidnappers and illegal oil operators would have continued to use it to transport stolen crude and refined products.”
Ogbuku added that the Ayakoro facility will also serve as a deterrent to criminal networks attempting to operate or escape through the waterways around Yenagoa and adjoining communities.
“With this facility in place, those intending to commit crimes in Yenagoa will find it difficult to use this route as an escape corridor. It helps to protect the entire stretch of this river and the surrounding communities,” he stated.
He commended the Ayakoro community for donating several hectares of land to the Nigerian Navy for the establishment of the base and lauded the Bayelsa State Government for its consistent support of NDDC’s developmental initiatives.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the community and the Council of Chiefs, Chief Clever Apkoti described the project as a milestone in local development and a reflection of Dr. Ogbuku’s visionary leadership.
“We are profoundly grateful to God Almighty and to Dr. Ogbuku for this developmental milestone in our community,” Apkoti said.
Ogbuku hinted that several other NDDC projects across the Niger Delta would soon be commissioned as part of activities marking the second anniversary of the Commission’s Seventh Governing Board.
Report by Tife Owolabi
