The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday said troops of Operations Delta Safe and Octopus Grip, have uncovered and deactivated no fewer than 68 illegal refining sites at the creeks of Niger Delta.
The military also said the troops destroyed petroleum products worth over two billion, even when the annual national appropriation is continuously running on deficit.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Major Musa Danmadami, who disclosed this while briefing defence correspondent in Abuja, said: “The maritime and land component of Operation DELTA SAFE in the conduct of operation OCTOPUS GRIP conducted operational activities at creeks, waterways, communities, villages, towns and cities within Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers States between 20 October – 2 November 2022. During the operations, troops discovered and destroyed 57 illegal refining sites, 35 wooden boats, 304 storage tanks, 172 cooking ovens, 12 dugout pits, five drums, two reservoirs, two illegal bunkering camps and six illegal bunkering boats.”
He added: “Troops also recovered 34,547 barrels of crude oil, 650,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 5,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 10,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine, seven pumping machines, seven vehicles, five motorcycles, one double barrel gun, two live cartridges and arrested five pipeline vandals.
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In a related development, troops of Operation DAKATAR DA BARAWO in the sustained fight against oil theft and maritime illegalities between 23 – 30 October 2022 discovered and destroyed 11 illegal refineries, 107 metal storage tanks, five wooden boats, 58 dugout pits, 38 ovens, 6 fibre boats, 28 reservoirs, 15 jerrycans, two pumping machines, 20,000 barels of crude oil and 167,900 litres of Automotive Gas Oil’’.
Major Gen. Danmadami said cumulatively, within the weeks under review, oil thieves were denied a total of 54,547 brls of crude oil, 817, 900 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 5,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 10,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine amounting to the sum of Two Billion Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Million Twenty-One Thousand Three Hundred Forty Three Naira Ninety Four Kobo (N2,435,021,343.94).
He also said, troops in conjunction with operatives of the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) tracked and raided the criminals’ location, in Ikwere Local Government Area and arrested 2 Eastern Security Network criminals’ kingpins at Oyigbo in Oyigbo Local Government Area of River State.
Troops, he concluded, recovered two Ak47 rifles, 285 rounds of 7.62mm special, 84 rounds 7.62mm NATO, one empty magazine, two mobile phones, three sim packs, a file containing documents, three ATM cards, NIN certificate, voters’ cards and charms.
