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FILE: Illegal oil refinery
The Nigerian Army, 6 Division said its troops uncovered massive fuel dumps where illegally refined products measuring over 200,000 litres were stored across various locations in Bayelsa and Rivers states.
Four suspects were arrested in the operations.
This came 24 hours after the Army destroyed several illegal oil refining sites and recovered products in Members, Bayelsa State and Odagwa in the Etche Local Government Area of the Rivers State.
The Army said the latest discovery was made at the Dasaba Creek in Bayelsa State where an Illegal refining site, with a massive metal reservoir containing products suspected to be stolen crude oil estimated at over 110,000 litres, was uncovered.
The acting Deputy Director of the 6 Division, Army Public Relations, Jonah Danjuma, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Danjuma said, “In Rivers State, troops swooped on over 33,000 litres being siphoned into a tank. The operation was painstakingly conducted by troops, who traced an interconnected hose to a tank from Indorama (Eleme Petrochemicals) pipeline, far behind the fence in the bush.
“Several other items were also recovered from the sites. These include two pumping machines, a long hose and 11 drums being used to perpetrate criminality in the general area.
“Similarly, troops of 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, while on routine patrols, successfully intercepted trucks laden with products suspected to be stolen crude in Delta State.
“The arrest was made at Seplat Energy Nigeria Ltd trunkline, Mosogar. During the operation, the truck was discovered to have over 30,000 litres of stolen products. The trucks have been handled in line with the subsisting mandate of Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta region.
“Also, troops of 16 Brigade, Nigerian Army, intercepted a truck with Registration No: Delta UDH 983 XR along the Elebele-Emeyal Road in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
“The truck was also laden with over 30,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude.
“Furthermore, troops deployed in Cawthorne Channel 1, in conjunction with other security agencies, successfully deactivated one illegal refining site with over 5,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude.
“The site was located close to Well Head 8, behind Glisten Community in Degema LGA, Rivers State.”
The Army 6 Division spokesman said the breakthroughs recorded were in addition to other seizures made within the general area.
“Four suspects have so far been arrested along Udoni Obiafu in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“The suspects are Freedom Effiong, Behaviour Power, Timothy Onyebuchi and Lovetg Ifeanyi. They will be handed over to relevant agencies for prosecution.
“These feats are results of the renewed effort by troops to effectively clamp down on economic saboteurs and their collaborators.
“Accordingly, members of the public are please enjoined to provide actionable intelligence on the activities of these economic saboteurs in their vicinity to security agencies,” the spokesman said.
