Army troops arrest 15 alleged oil thieves, destroy 32 illegal refineries in Niger Delta.
The Nigerian army has announced the arrest of at least 15 suspects for oil theft and illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region.
The announcement was made by the spokesman of the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, in a statement issued on Monday.
Danjuma disclosed that 32 illegal artisanal refineries were destroyed and 14 boats were seized during operations carried out by the troops between January 6 and 12 in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states.
He also revealed that the troops confiscated about 60,000 liters of various petroleum products.
Operation River State Fails
Danjuma noted that seven illegal refining sites were destroyed in Degema Local Government Area of River State where the operation began. 20,000 litres of crude oil were seized. Two vessels destroyed
1,600 litres of crude oil and 1,200 litres of adulterated oil were seized at Nkisa in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Rivers Local Government Area,
"We also dismantled ten illegal refineries, several crude oil boilers and receivers and recovered about 19,000 litres of stolen petroleum products along the Imo River.
"At Odagwa, Etche, our troops intercepted three boats carrying about 12,000 litres of stolen crude oil and arrested three suspects in the process.
"Similar operations were carried out in Abiama, Asa, Obuzor, Okoloma, Ozaa, Ukwa and Oyigbo," he added. Imo State
Ten illegal refineries destroyed. 19,000 litres of diesel stolen along Imo River
Bayelsa State
Illegal refinery and ship destroyed
1,500 litres of crude oil seized. "In Baberegbene, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa, our soldiers dismantled an illegal artisanal refinery and seized a wooden boat carrying no fewer than 1,500 litres of stolen crude oil.
"Similarly, an illegal refinery site containing an unspecified quantity of petroleum products was shut down in Emago-Kugbo and Oluasiri communities in Nembe, Bayelsa," the army spokesman said.
During their operations in Akwa Ibom and Delta, Danjuma said, "the troops maintained a strong presence and effectively denied economic saboteurs the freedom to operate."
What you need to know
Oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region are hampering the growth of Nigeria's oil and gas sector, costing the country billions of dollars in revenue. However, the threat of crude oil theft is being combated by various operations including the Nigerian Army, the Navy and private security companies contracted by the Federal Government. President Bola Tinubu has pledged to increase Nigeria's crude oil production from the current average of 1.5 million barrels per day to over 2.5 million barrels per day. Winning the fight against oil theft is essential to achieving this goal.
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