By Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa—Authorities of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, yesterday, said that the special security forces have intensified raids on crude oil thieves with the destruction of 80 illegal refineries across Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states.

The operation’s Joint Media Campaign Centre Coordinator, Major Abubakar Abdullahi, in a statement in Yenagoa, stated that its operatives would not relent until the mandate of ridding the region of oil thieves was achieved.

According to him, “in Bayelsa State, troops patrol around Obhoyohan and Ngiri Creeks in Nembe Local Govern-ment Area of the state discovered and destroyed seven illegal refineries containing 150,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

“Three suspects were also arrested in connection with the illegalities and are currently undergoing investigation.”