By Okeke Eunice
The Nigerian Army, and other security agencies, has continued its fight against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region, resulting in the arrest of 22 suspected oil thieves.
The Army also reported that they recovered 27 stolen pipes and four pumping machines. Additionally, they dismantled five illegal connections used by the suspects to siphon crude oil, confiscating over 170,000 units of stolen products and disabling other related equipment.
The acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Jonah Danjuma, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday and sent to newsmen.
In the statement released yesterday, Danjuma announced the success resulted from multiple operations carried out by troops across Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States last week.
Dajuma stated: “In several operations conducted simultaneously last week, troops have effectively denied criminal elements and economic saboteurs freedom of action with tremendous successes recorded.
“More than 115 illegal refining sites and 66 boats were destroyed, 22 suspects were arrested, 27 stolen pipes and 4 pumping machines were recovered, 5 illegal connections were dismantled, and over 170,000 stolen products, along with other related items, were confiscated and deactivated.
“In Bayelsa State, troops conducted operations in the swampy Ibidi area, Twon Brass, and Agip Terminal in Brass Local Government Area. They seized one illegal refining site, along with a generator, a pumping machine, a reservoir, and a large wooden boat carrying over 90,000 liters of stolen, illicitly refined products.
“In Rivers State, division troops extensively operated in the area, achieving notable successes. Along the notorious Imo River, they destroyed over 79 illegal refining sites and 59 wooden boats, and recovered more than 40,000 stolen products.
“In addition to these recoveries, various other related items were deactivated at the sites. Furthermore, acting on reliable intelligence about vandal activities at a Webster Global Ventures Limited installation near Cawthorne Channel II, Flow Station in Degemay LGA, troops were deployed to the location and apprehended four suspects.
“The suspects were arrested with a wooden boat laden with scraps and parts of the installation pipes suspected to have been stolen.”
“Meanwhile, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, the General Officer Commanding the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army, has urged troops to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal artisanal refinery operations and related crimes in the Niger Delta Region.”
“He encouraged essential stakeholders, particularly the communities where these illegal activities are prevalent, to address the issue, given the significant harm these crimes inflict on their surroundings and the country’s economy.”