Soot: Wike offers N2m reward for information on illegal oil refining site operators

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has announced a reward of N2 million each to local government chairpersons for information on operators of illegal refining sites in the state.

He said this on Friday in Port Harcourt, during a meeting with LG chairpersons and security operatives in the state.  

He issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the 23 LGA chairpersons to provide a comprehensive list of illegal refining sites and their operators.

“Now, every council chairman must go and identify where illegal refineries take place. If you identify one, you get N2 million,” Wike said.

“So, go and identify as many as you can. I will pay N2 million for each one and I will fight against this thing. Our people are dying and we owe them the responsibility to protect them, to save them from death. 

“You have 48 hours to go and identify all illegal refining sites and those that are in charge of them.”

Wike said any council chairman who shies away from tackling the criminals operating the illegal refining sites risks being taken out of office. 

He directed Eboka Friday, Rivers police commissioner, to redeploy a divisional police officer at Emohua LGA who allegedly operates an illegal refining site in the area.

The governor asked the commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state to transfer an officer said to be involved in vandalisation of pipelines.

Wike also ordered the immediate arrest of W.J. Wocha, Fubara Ohaka, and Promise Ezekwe — all community leaders — who were accused of operating illegal refining sites inside the forest of Ibaa community in Emohua LGA.