By Festus Ahon

…as ex-IYC boss blames soldiers for increasing oil theft
PORT HARCOURT – ABOUT 200 illegal refineries have been smashed in Rivers and Bayelsa States by the Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the last one year.

Commander of the Sector and Brigade Commander, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, Rivers State,  Brigadier-General Tukur Buratai, who spoke in Port Harcourt, said close to 200  persons suspected to be behind the illegal refineries were also arrested by the security outfit.

Meantime, soldiers have been blamed for the increasing rate of illegal oil bunkering and related crimes in the Niger Delta.  A former president of Ijaw Youth Congress, IYC, Chief Nengi James, who made the allegation, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, said until soldiers were withdrawn from the region, illegal oil bunkering and theft would continue to rise.

Buratai said tankers used for the operations were also impounded, adding that the Sector 2 Command of the JTF, would continue to take steps to rid its areas of operations of illegal bunkering and related crime.

He said: “We have so far arrested over 200 persons involved in this illegal refining as well as illegal oil bunkering and oil theft in Rivers and Bayelsa.  We had destroyed almost equal number of illegal refineries in these two states. Also, a number of trailers and tankers have been impounded, appropriately treated and processed for prosecution.”

Chief James alleged that some of the soldiers deployed to confront the ugly situation often ended up becoming part of the crime.  He alleged that they connived with staff of some of the oil firms to perpetuate the act.

“Nigerian state’s military is not doing any on security; they are the same people that are conniving to promote bunkering activities in the country, if not, why is bunkering flourishing? Every Nigerian soldier wants to be in the Niger Delta, why? They are the people who are now encouraging people to continue the illegal bunkering,” he added.