Troops destroy 36 Illegal refining sites, apprehends 22 suspects in Niger Delta

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba in a media briefing on Thursday disclosed that the troops of Operation Delta Safe destroyed 36 illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta region of the country last week, in a renewed attempt to sustain the momentum against crude oil theft in the region.

Buba cautions the perpetrators of crude oil theft to desist from their criminal act, else the troops, and other security agencies would continue to hunt them.

He said troops of the joint task force discovered and destroyed 61 dugout pits, 32 wooden boats, 87 storage tanks, three vehicles, 126 cooking ovens, three outboard engines, one speedboat, two motorcycles, one generator, two pumping machines. 

He disclosed that troops also recovered 310,700 litres of crude oil, 14,675 litres of diesel, 49,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine, one weapon, three ammunition and apprehended 22 suspects engaged in crude oil theft.

He said one of the operations was conducted on July 24, 2023, at Wellhead Cluster Opukushi Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State where troops on anti-illegal bunkering operations intercepted and destroyed one wooden boat loaded with 1000 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil