Troops demolish 18 illegal refining sites in Niger Delta, arrest 17 suspects

The Nigerian Army says troops from its 6 division carried out crackdowns on oil theft in the Niger Delta region, dismantling 18 illegal refining sites and arresting 17 suspects.

The operation, conducted between February 17 and 23 in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states, also resulted in the recovery of over 25,000 litres of stolen products and the decommissioning of 10 boats.

Danjuma Jonah, acting deputy director of 6 Division Army public relations, announced the development in a statement issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

He added that two active unauthorised refining sites were destroyed and three wooden boats carrying more than 9,000 litres of stolen crude were intercepted at Akuku-Toru LGA in Rivers.

Jonah added that in a separate action, the troops seized a truck carrying over 3,000 litres of stolen crude at Ogale Junction on the Eket Port Harcourt expressway.

He said the troops also uncovered an illicit oil bunkering site at Okwuzi in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, where more than 2,100 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO) were stored in sacks.

A wooden boat loaded with over 1,000 litres of stolen crude was also intercepted in a creek along the Ogaji-Ama axis in Bukuma.

During clearance operations in the Imo River, the soldiers dismantled two unauthorised refining sites, destroyed 23 drum pots and 14 drum receivers, and confiscated over 2,000 litres of stolen crude.

“In Bayelsa State, at Clough Creek in the Ekeremor LGA, three unauthorised refining sites were dismantled, a pumping machine was recovered, and more than 3,500 litres of crude were recovered, alongside the decommissioning of two wooden boats. An additional operation near Biseni in the Yenagoa LGA led to the deactivation of one unauthorised refining site and the recovery of over 2,000 litres of stolen crude,” the statement reads.

“In related developments in Delta state, troops intercepted a Toyota Camry (registration number Anambra JJT 876 AE) carrying 16 cellophane bags containing an unspecified quantity of illegally refined AGO at Oton Village in the Sapele LGA.

“A subsequent operation led to the arrest of six suspects, and a tricycle transporting several sacks of illegally refined products was also intercepted along the Ughelli-Patani expressway.”

Emmanuel Emekah, general officer commanding the 6 division, commended the troops for their efforts and urged them to maintain the operational tempo, emphasising that such vigour would “deny economic saboteurs the opportunity to continue their illicit activities in the Niger Delta”.