Military pounces on illegal refinery operators in Rivers

Chinazor Megbolu

The Nigeria military has pounced on illegal refinery operators in Delta and River States and destroyed the sites of operations.

In a statement by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, Major-General John Enenche, the military personnel intercepted two wooden boats laden with about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be Automotive Gasoline Oil popularly known as diesel packaged in polyethylene bags as part of ongoing Operations curb oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

This statement issued in Abuja, explained that the operation was carried out by the Nigerian Navy Ship in collaboration with an Ocean Marine Service (OMS) surveillance crew which also helped to deploy two swamp buggies to the island for anti-illegal bunkering/Crude Oil Theft (COT).

“The team commenced swamp buggy operations at the illegal refining sites and deactivated 24 ovens, 35 receivers, 25 surface metal storage tanks and covered one dugout pit.

“Additionally, on 8 April this year, the team located another illegal refining site at Bennett Island during which 14 ovens, 20 receivers and 21 surface metal storage tanks were dismantled.

“Similarly, on 10 April this year, the combined team of NNS DELTA and OMS surveillance crew commenced the swamp buggy operation at Bennett Island in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State,” he said.

Enenche further pointed out that the team located an illegal refining site and deactivated four ovens, 14 surface metal storage tanks and five coolers while the team also discovered an illegal valve connection along the Trans-Forcados pipeline suspected to have been connected by pipeline vandals.

The statement buttressed that in the Nigerian Navy Ship on April 8, 2020 during patrol located an illegal refining site in Alakiri around Okirika general area of Rivers State.

Enenche revealed that the site had approximately 20,000 litres of illegally refined AGO which were immediately impounded while no arrest was made as the operators of the illegal refining site fled on sighting the patrol team.

Editing by ‘Biodun Soyele