JTF trains 28 soldiers to tackle oil theft

Determined to end cases of oil theft in Nigeria, the Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta has graduated 28 soldiers trained on water operations and rescue missions.

The Commander of the 2nd Brigade, Brigadier-General Osasogie Uzamere, disclosed this on Tuesday during the fifth Watermanship Amphibious Training Programme for troops under the JTF Sector 2 Command in Degema, Rivers State.
Uzamere, who was represented at the occasion by the 2nd Brigade Chief of Staff, Col. Innocent Olotta, explained that the training was targetted as emboldening soldiers and erasing hydrophobia in the minds of soldiers during amphibious operations.
He stated that the soldiers received training in many swimming techniques like freestyle stroke, breaststroke, survival and endurance technique, butterfly stroke and backstroke.
Uzamere recalled that the JTF had in the past recorded death of its personnel due to the fear of water that led to the drowning of some of its men.
According to him, “Some of our JTF operatives are from the North where there are no rivers. This means that they are not used to water and the creeks of the Niger Delta.
“Despite wearing life jackets during rare occasions of boat mishaps while on operations, soldiers can possibly drown due to panic on sighting the broadness of water surrounding them.
“The Niger Delta terrain is quite difficult. So, it became necessary that JTF operatives received the best training available in other to better protect the nation’s economic lifeline.”
Uzamere pointed out that the watermanship course would enable JTF troops to swim and protect themselves, save drowning colleagues and rescue endangered civilian boats.
He expressed the JTF’s commitment towards ensuring that the troops were combat-ready, saying, “This is in-line with the federal government focus on ending attacks on the nation’s oil installations.