Army Sustain Onslaught Against Oil Theft in N’Delta, Dismantle More illegal refining camps

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Emma Ovundah

The Nigerian military has sustained the onslaught against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

This is just as troops of 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army in conjunction with other security agencies dismantled more illegal refining sites, located along the fringes of River Niger, bordering Ndokwa East and Ndoni Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Delta and Rivers States respectively.

A statement issued on Monday by the Acting Deputy Director 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, said the operation was conducted, following credible intelligence on the monumental level of criminality going on in the area. Danjuma in the statement disclosed that during the operation, several items which include: 8 cooking pots, 3 storage tanks, 3 massive storage dugouts as well as 12 feeders, 3 cooking drums, an extensive network of pipes and hoses, and over 2,000 litres of crude in a metallic oven, among others, were confiscated and destroyed.

He further said the troops, while combing the general area also arrested 2 wooden boats loaded with condensates estimated to be over 10,000 litres abandoned by the fleeing criminals in the creeks. “The boats have been handled in line with the mandate of Operation Delta Safe in the region.”

The statement reads in part; “In Rivers State, troops of 5 Battalion arrested 8 suspects, along Orashi River, Obiafu in ONELGA. The suspects were arrested with motorcycles conveying condensates estimated to be over 2,000 litres.”

Continuing, he said, “Relatedly, troops of 29 Battalion while maintaining vigilance at Imo River identified and destroyed Nine (9) more illegal refining sites. The sites housed over Fifteen Thousand (15,000) litres of illegally refined products. The suspects have been handed over to relevant agency for prosecution.

“Members of the public, particularly the adjoining communities where these criminalities thrives, are enjoined to report the criminal activities going on in their domain to security agencies. More worrisome is the environmental hazards the activities of these criminals constitute in the region.