The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Niger Delta’s ``Operation Pulo Shield’’ has called for deployment of Information Communications Technology (ICT)  gadgets to checkmate oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

The Commander of the task force, Maj.-Gen. Batta Debiro, made the call in the 2013 Review of Operations Brief made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

The Brief, issued by Col. Onyema Nwachukwu,  the JTF Media Coordinator, quoted the JTF Commander as saying that the taskforce remained committed to safeguarding oil and gas facilities, ``in spite of difficult terrain and logistic challenges.’’

Debiro, who canvassed for the adoption of international best practice in the surveillance of oil pipelines, noted that installation of sensors in the pipeline network would instantly send signals once any sabotage attempt was made.

He urged oil firms operating in the country to embrace the technology to complement the efforts of the JTF in safeguarding oil and gas installations.

In the review of its 2013 operations, the JTF commander said the taskforce had achieved several feats in its crackdown on oil thieves with intensified patrols.

``In the period under review, the JTF successfully conducted several land, maritime and air operations against illegal oil bunkering and refining activities, pipeline vandalism, armed banditry and sea pirates.`

``From January to date, the JTF’s Operation Pulo Shield conducted a total of 1,025 anti-illegal oil bunkering patrols and destroyed over 1,951 illegal refineries.

``Also destroyed were 81 barges, 1,117 Cotonou boats, 82 tanker trucks, 1,873 surface tanks and 1,857 suspects arrested.

``Additionally, 39,760 drums of illegally refined products, 570 pumping machines and 75 outboard engines used as apparatus to facilitate oil theft were seized and destroyed, while 46 vessels of various sizes and capacities were impounded.’’

On pipeline vandalism, the JTF chief noted that the menace was drastically reduced with isolated cases occurring in remote locations with limited accesibilty due to the swampy nature of the region.

``Although limited incidents of pipeline vandalism still occur in the region, JTF operations has drastically reduced their occurrence.

``Those that still occur are mostly in remote areas of the creeks, carried out at night by criminal gangs who take advantage of the JTF’s limited accessibility of the difficult terrain.’’ (NAN)