Troops seize wooden boats, destroy over 40 illegal refining sites in Niger Delta

The Nigerian Army said troops of 6 Division seized several wooden boats, destroyed over 40 illegal refining sites and confiscated over 180,000 litres of illegally refined products across the Niger Delta region.

Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, acting Deputy Director,

6 Division Army Public Relations, in a statement, said the operations, which were conducted with other security agencies, led to the confiscation of illegally refined products within 6 Division’s area of responsibility.

“Troops of 6 Division Garrison, in conjunction with other security agencies at Bille and Mbiama, general area, Okrika LGA, recorded tremendous operational successes. This led to the destruction of six illegal refining sites with 11 ovens, reservoirs and storage tanks, each with two coolants and the confiscation of two massive tarpaulin storages filled with illegal crude oil estimated to be over 45,000 litres.”

According to the statement, other items recovered include Jerry cans, drums containing over 1,000 illegally refined automotive gas oils, three pumping machines, as well as a set of two long hoses of about 500 metres.

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“Additionally, five illegal refining sites were taken out around Alakiri general area, also in Okrika LGA, where over 15,000 litres of illegally refined products were confiscated.

“In a similar vein, troops of 16 Brigade at Cawthorne Channel 1, around Bille and Elem Karakarma general areas in Degema LGA, arrested two wooden boats containing illegally refined products estimated to be over 24,000 litres as well as two fibre boats containing over 1,200 stolen crude.

” This was in addition to over 19,000 and 15,000 litres of illegally refined products seized at Amalaghakiri and Kbonbonkiri, respectively, both in Nembe LGA, Bayelsa State.

“In Delta State, troops of 63 Brigade, while on routine patrols along the Asaba-Onitcha Road, intercepted a truck with 33,000 litres of illegally refined products. Also, at West of Ikpemu Creek in Warri South, one active illegal refining site containing one cooking oven with over 10,000 litres of stolen crude were confiscated. This was in addition to five massive dugouts destroyed,” the statement further disclosed.

The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Jamal Abdusalam, commended troops for their operational exploits, just as he urged them to sustain the pressure against economic saboteurs.