By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa- No fewer than 53 persons, allegedly involved in illegal bunkering, have been arrested by the Joint Task Force, JTF, codenamed Operation Restore Hope in Niger Delta region in the last three months.

Spokesman of JTF, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha, who made the disclosure, yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the arrests were made in separate operations in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states.

Antigha, who spoke to newsmen while parading some of the suspects arrested in Akassa area of Bayelsa State, at the Sector 2 command of the outfit, said JTF will not relent in its crusade against crude oil theft and illegal refineries operators until the scourge was stamped out in the region.

He said: “About 53 suspects have been arrested in the last three months by JTF in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta states over their involvement in illegal oil bunkering.

“As part of our steady operations to keep the nation’s pipeline networks safe from criminal activities and war against illegal bunkering, our personnel in Akassa area of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, arrested another 15 persons, suspected to be actively involved in the stealing of the nation’s crude oil, which they refine in some identified illegal refineries.

“We seized equipment they used for pumping the stolen crude oil and other outboard engines being utilised to carry out their illegal activities.

“You will find fresh residue of poorly refined adulterated products from the ring holes attached to the pumping machines of these suspects.

“Three harbour engines were also intercepted by our personnel. These are the equipment used to siphon stolen crude oil from ruptured pipelines.”