Foremost Ex-militant leaders and key stakeholders from the six States of the Niger Delta at the weekend joined forces to tackle the menace of pipeline vandalism, oil theft and sunsry crimes in the region.

The Ex-Agitators met on Saturday at the Okirchi Palace in the Okrika Kingdom of Rivers State over the sustained move to tackle crude oil theft.

Those present at the meeting convened HRM Ateke Michael Tom JP. are Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Chief Ajube Bibopiri (Gen. Shootatsight), and Hon. Victor Ben Ebikabowei (Gen Boyloaf).

Feelers from the meeting indicate that the meeting was convened to discuss ways and strategies needed for overseeing the pipeline surveillance contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

According to a source who attended, those in attendance also shared the objective of intensifying their efforts to combat oil theft in the area and agreed the contract to be ‘decentralised’.

While the former militants discussed other salient issues peculiar to them, it is apparent that it marked a unified front against the persistent problem of oil theft in the region.

The stakeholders are resolute in their commitment to boost collaborative endeavors aimed at safeguarding the pipelines and the interests of the NNPCL.

They were unanimous that this collaborative approach has the potential to be a turning point in the ongoing struggle against oil theft, with far-reaching benefits for the entire region and the Nigerian economy.