By ZAKAA LAZARUS, ABUJA
Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, have scaled up the ongoing strangulation operations aimed at dismantling the network of criminal enterprise run by oil thieves in the Niger Delta Region (NDR).
In the operations conducted across the joint operations area, 20 illegal refining sites were destroyed, Eleven suspected oil thieves were arrested, 31 boats used for transporting stolen products destroyed, Seven vehicles intercepted with over 190,000 litres of stolen products recovered. The operations were conducted from 30 December 2024 – 5 January 2025.
In a deliberate operations conducted around Oando wellhead at Benkrukru at Okordia general area in Yenagoa, Local Government Area (LGA), Four oil sewage were discovered.
The sewage were filled with over 70,000 litres of stolen crude. Additionally, one sunction machine and about 700 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil ( AGO) packed in sacks were recovered.
Relatedly, at Amalaghakiri general area in Nembe LGA, two illegal refining sites were taken out, with over 15,000 litres of stolen products confiscated. While at Oyeregbene in Southern Ijaw LGA, one illegal refining site was destroyed with over 1,500 litres of stolen products handled appropriately.
In Rivers State, around Omoku, troops closed on oil thieves, who fled in disarray on sighting troops.
Further exploitation led to the discovery of an illegal connection point on Oando Pipeline, around Ebocha with four boats ladened with over 22,000 litres of stolen products recovered.
At Obiafu Oil field, in Ogba/ Egbema/ Ndoni LGA, wooden boats and dugout pits stocked with over 8,000 litres of stolen products were handled.
Around Mgbede, 4 illegal refining sites, five wooden boats, 108 locally made ovens, several tanks with over 31,000 litres of stolen products were recovered.
