Nigerian Defence Minister Rowland Oritsejafor told the opening session of an Energy and Security in Africa seminar Abuja earlier this week that his government had recently taken delivery of four gunboats from the US and was soon expecting some others.

All of the boats would be deployed in curtailing the thieves’ activities, reported the allAfrica.com website.

Oritsejafor said Nigeria had lost over US$2 billion in the oil sector as a result of illegal activities in the Niger Delta. Those involved in crude oil thefts included nationals of other countries.

The Nigerian goverment wanted the Bush Administration and other governments to empower the Nigerian Navy and other relevant security agencies to combat the illicit trade, Oritsejafor said.

Countries needed to collaborate on security measures in the Niger Delta as it formed part of the Gulf of Guinea that accounted for 50% of Africa’s oil and gas supplies, according to Oritsejafor.

He said the US had a stake in the safety of the region because it obtained about 15% of its oil imports from the area, while European Union countries got about 7% of their oil from there.

Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea region off the west coast are rapidly expanding sources of oil. But West Africa is also prone to violent political instability that could threaten US and European supplies, AFP reported.

The governments of two small oil-rich West African countries - Sao Tome and Equatorial Guinea - have in recent years been threatened by coup attempts.