Nigerian Army says troops of 6 Division, working closely with other security agencies, have continued to sustain the operational gains recorded against oil thieves in the Niger Delta region. Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, in a statement, said troops dismantled 37 illegal refining sites, six boats, arrested ten suspected oil thieves, and recovered over 130,000 litres of stolen productsAccording to the report, nine illegal refining sites, containing 176 cooking drums and multiple pumping machines, were destroyed in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) LGA in Rivers State, near Obiafu. Additionally, two cell phones and multiple locally built dumps that contained more than 60,000 liters of stolen goods were seized.
According to the report, nine illegal refining sites, containing 176 cooking drums and multiple pumping machines, were destroyed in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) LGA in Rivers State, near Obiafu. Additionally, two cell phones and multiple locally built dumps that contained more than 60,000 liters of stolen goods were seized.
The statement stated that four oil thieves were detained during the raid and that approximately 50,000 liters of stolen crude, 5,000 liters of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 6,250 liters of illegally refined Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) were among the confiscated items. “In Buguma general area in Asari-Toru LGA, three illegal refining sites, a large boat was also deactivated with over 24,000 liters of stolen products recovered. Meanwhile, three illegal refining sites, two wooden and one fiber boats, were intercepted with over 6,000 and 5,000 liters of stolen crude, as well as 5,000 liters of illegally refined DPK recovered. At Ozorchi Forest in Abua/Odual, four illegal refining sites with over 10,000 liters of stolen products were handled
Eight illegal refining sites, fifty drum pots, sixty-five metal container receivers, and more than five thousand liters of stolen goods were deactivated as a result of clearance operations along the Imo River, the statement continued.
It stated that troops stopped an attempt to compromise a Shell Petroleum Development Company pipeline at the Kumbo 4 Flow line in Ekeremor LGA and that one illegal refining site with 2,000 liters of stolen crude was dealt with in separate operations carried out in Bayelsa State, near Kunsho Creek in Southern Ijaw.
The vandals fled and abandoned 18 inches pipes and three gas cylinders at the location.
Troops in Delta State stopped a tanker truck that was trying to divert crude oil from the Platform Petroleum Limited Pipeline in the Ethiope East LGA’s Obiukwole community.
Troops found a blue hose that had been buried in the jungle to connect the pipeline to the tanker truck in anticipation of a theft.
Four accused oil thieves were also taken into custody on the spot.
“To prevent criminal activity in the state, troops have maintained their control over the hinterland and waterways in Akwa Ibom,” he added.
