Troops immobilise 14 illegal refineries, recover stolen product in N/Delta – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operation Delta Safe have immobilised 14 illegal refining sites and recovered large quantity of stolen products in the Niger Delta region in the last two weeks.

The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, disclosed this, while given update on military operations across the country between Dec. 9 and Dec. 23, on Thursday in Abuja.

Onyeuko said the illegal site had 19 ovens, 13 cooking pots/boilers, 15 cooling systems, 15 reservoirs, five large dugout pits and 33 storage tanks.

He added that a total of 896,500 litres and 70 polythene bags of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were recovered in the process.

According to him, a total of 11,000 litres of illegally refined Dual Purpose Kerosene and 689,000 litres of stolen crude oil were recovered in the course of the operations.

“In addition, 28 pieces of galvanized pipes, three tanker trucks and 12 wooden boats used for illegal oil bunkering activities were recovered and handled appropriately in the course of the operations.
“All the arrested criminals and recovered items have been handed over to relevant security agencies for further action,” he said.

Onyeuko said the troops had sustained anti-illegal oil production operations and other non-kinetic operations to forestall activities of vandals and other economic saboteurs in the South – South Zone.

He disclosed that some of the operations were executed at different locations in villages, creeks and towns in Ikwere, Port Harcourt, Emouha, Ahoada East and Bonny Local Government Areas of Rivers.

Other locations according to him, are villages, towns and creeks in; Warri South, Warri South-West and Burutu Local Government Areas of Delta State as well as Ogbia and Yenagoa Local Government Areas of Bayelsa.

“Troops’ operations also yielded significant results at; Unholu and Uwaza communities’ areas in Ukwa West Local Government Areas of Abia,” he said.