Troops Dismantle 20 Illegal Refining Sites in Niger Delta

 

In a major operation against oil thieves and economic saboteurs, troops of the Nigerian Army have dismantled 20 illegal oil refining sites across the Niger Delta region. The troops, part of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, collaborated with other security agencies to achieve this, also arresting eight suspected oil thieves and recovering about 90,000 liters of stolen petroleum products between December 23 and 29, 2024.

Lt. Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, spokesperson for the 6 Division, confirmed in a statement that the troops deactivated 21 boats used for illegal activities during anti-bunkering operations. The operation, which targeted criminal activities related to oil theft, led to significant recoveries and arrests.

Notable operations include a response to intelligence on illegal activities in the Buguma area of Asari-Toru Local Government Area (LGA), where troops discovered a massive storage reservoir containing over 37,000 liters of stolen condensates. In a gunfight at the Ogajiama axis, the criminals fled after encountering superior firepower from the troops. Another illegal refining site was dismantled, and 9,000 liters of illegally refined Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) were confiscated.

Other operations saw the interception of illegal refining sites and boats across various locations in the region, including:

• In Degema LGA, two illegal refining sites and several boats were intercepted, along with 2,000 liters of stolen crude.
• In Omoku, one illegal site and more than 2,000 liters of stolen products were confiscated.
• At Etche LGA, over 3,500 liters of stolen products were recovered.
• In Bayelsa State, 8,000 liters of stolen oil were seized, and one illegal site was dismantled.
• In Akwa Ibom State, troops intercepted over 3,000 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which was traced to a smuggling operation.

The Nigerian Army also uncovered a plot to vandalize a Shell Petroleum flowline at Opukushi in Ekeremor LGA, Bayelsa State, as well as discovered 31 drums of PMS primed for smuggling.

The General Officer Commanding the 6 Division, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, commended the troops for their success and urged them to maintain vigilance in the region. He also called on the local populace to continue providing actionable intelligence to support the fight against economic sabotage.