Army continues crackdown on illegal refining site in Delta, Rivers

In an onslaught on oil thieves in the Niger Delta region, troops of the 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, in conjunction with other security agencies, have launched a sustained operation against illegal refining sites in Delta and Rivers States.

Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, revealed that the operation on Monday was conducted following credible intelligence on the “monumental level of criminality” in a location along the fringes of River Niger, bordering Ndokwa East and Ndoni Local Government Areas(LGAs) of Delta and Rivers States respectively.

The crackdown, Lt. Col Danjuma said, yielded significant results, with the confiscation and destruction of 8 cooking pots, 3 storage tanks, 3 massive storage dugouts, and 12 feeders.

He noted that others were, 3 cooking drums, an Extensive network of pipes and hoses and Over 2,000 litres of crude oil.

Additionally, he noted that troops seized 2 wooden boats loaded with over 10,000 litres of condensates, abandoned by fleeing criminals in the creeks.

He emphasized that the operation was part of the ongoing efforts to combat oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta region, under the mandate of Operation DELTA SAFE.

Lt Col added that troops of the 5 Battalion in Rivers State arrested eight suspects and seized over 2,000 litres of condensates along the Orashi River in Obiafu, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA.

He said the suspects were caught transporting the illegal substances on motorcycles, bringing the total haul to over 2,000 litres.

Again, in a related operation, troops of the 29 Battalion identified and destroyed nine illegal refining sites along the Imo River, containing over 15,000 litres of illicit products.

The suspects have been handed over to the relevant authorities for prosecution, serving as a warning to others engaging in such criminal activities.

He, however, noted that the military urged the public, especially communities in the affected areas, to report any suspicious activities to the security agencies, highlighting the devastating environmental impact of these crimes.