Oil Theft: Troops Intensify Crackdown Against Economic Saboteurs, Arrest Vandals, Recover Swamp Buggy, Tug Boat, SPDC Pipes
•By Our Reporter
PORT HARCOURT – Troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, have intensified its crackdown against economic saboteurs and associated criminalities in the Niger Delta Region have arrested over 21 suspected Vandals, deactivating over 43 illegal refining sites and confiscating over 120,000 litres of illegally refined products.
The troops in conjunction with other security agencies arrested 12 pipeline vandals alongside a barge loaded with one swamp buggy, a tug boat and several vandalized Shell Production Development Company (SPDC) pipes in Ojobo Community, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
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Likewise, at Obotoro Creek and Babrogbene in Southern Ijaw LGA, the troops destroyed an illegal refining site and intercepted a wooden boat, as well as a reservoir with over 5,500 litres of stolen products.
Other items recovered from the site included two drums of Automotive Gas Oil, estimated to be 2,800 litres.
A statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director 6 Division Army Public Relations on Sunday, disclosed that One illegal refining site was busted and deactivated at Diebu Creek in Southern Ijaw with over 8,000 litres.
According to Danjuma, the operations also yielded results around Binikurukuru axis of Igbomtoru and Tebidaba communities also in Southern Ijaw, where one wooden Canoe, loaded with over 2,000 litres was intercepted with one suspect arrested.
In Rivers State, the troops around Bille and Abiseni general area in Degema and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas, deactivated five illegal refining sites, with large storage points containing over 28,000 litres of stolen crude.
Lt. Col. Danjuma, further noted that the troops while conducting pipeline surveillance around oil wellheads at Cawthorne Channel I, II and III general areas in Degema LGA intercepted a wooden boat loaded with over 5000 litres of crude.
According to Danjuma, the feat was in addition to the destruction of a large wooden boat hidden inside the creek, suspected to be used for criminal activities.
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Similarly, troops on routine patrol, around Sama in Asari-Toru LGA, destroyed One illegal refining site, One Oven, 3 receivers and One reservoir. At Odioku and Okoh in Onne LGA, 2 illegal refining sites were destroyed, while over 2000 litres of stolen crude were confiscated.
Additionally, two wooden boats hidden in the creeks, along Egi and Nkissa containing over 2,000 litres of crude were also recovered, while within Ogbogolo forest in Ahoada West, troops deactivated one illegal refining site with over 4,000 litres of stolen crude.
At the stretch of the Imo River, the troops scaled up operations that led to the deactivation of 12 illegal refining sites and several products confiscated.
For Delta State, one illegal refining site at Ikpemu Creek with over 5,000 litres of stolen products have been deactivated accordingly.
In addition, several illegal refining sites have been taken out with various products confiscated within the Division’s Area of Responsibility.
Lt. Col. Danjuma further disclosed that the arrested suspects would be handed over to the relevant persecutory agencies.
Danjuma quoted the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, as commending the troops for their relentless efforts, charging them to scale up operations against economic sabotage and sundry crimes, in order to put in place conditions necessary for exploration activities thrive in the region seamlessly.
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Maj.Gen. Abdussalam, for the umpteenth time warned criminal elements to embrace legitimate means of livelihood and desist from sabotaging the nation’s economy.
•INDEPENDENTNG.