…Recovers 90,000 Litres of stolen products

By Kingsley Omonobi

The Nigerian Army announced on Sunday that troops of the 6 Division, in collaboration with other security agencies, have dismantled 20 illegal crude oil refining sites, arrested eight suspected oil thieves, and recovered over 90,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.

According to a statement by the Army, the operation also resulted in the deactivation of 21 boats used for siphoning oil as part of a sustained crackdown on economic saboteurs in the Niger Delta region.

The statement reads: “This posture led to the dismantling of 20 illegal refining sites, the arrest of eight suspected oil thieves, and the deactivation of 21 boats used for the criminal activity. Additionally, over 90,000 litres of stolen products were recovered during ongoing anti-bunkering operations in the region.”

The operations, conducted between December 23 and 29, 2024, included: Buguma General Area, Asari-Toru LGA: Troops discovered a large tarpaulin storage reservoir and a wooden boat containing over 37,000 litres of stolen condensates. In the Ogajiama axis, a gun battle ensued, leading to the discovery of an illegal refining site with a big pot, a receiver holding 9,000 litres of illegally refined Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and the interception of three locally made boats being loaded with crude from an abandoned wellhead. Three suspects were arrested.

Krakrama Community, Degema LGA: Two illegal refining sites were dismantled, with four fibre and three wooden boats intercepted, and about 2,000 litres of stolen crude confiscated.

Gbede, Omoku: Troops dismantled one illegal refining site, confiscated 27 locally made ovens, and seized 31 sacks containing over 2,000 litres of stolen products.

Odagwa-Imo Riverside, Etche LGA: One illegal refining site, two drum pots, a wooden boat, and over 3,500 litres of stolen products were recovered.

Imo River Fringes: Seven illegal refining sites, six boats, 122 drum pots, 49 drum receivers, and over 10,000 litres of stolen products were recovered.

Bayelsa State (Biseni Forest, Yenagoa LGA): Troops dismantled one illegal refining site, seizing about 8,000 litres of stolen products. An attempt to vandalize Shell Petroleum Development Company’s inactive flow lines at Well 20 in Opukushi was also foiled.

Akwa Ibom State: Troops intercepted 11 drums (280 litres each) containing approximately 3,080 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at Enwang II, Mbo LGA. Follow-up operations at Dazele Filling Station, Ibaka, led to the discovery of 31 additional drums (8,680 litres of PMS), which were reportedly prepared for smuggling to a neighboring country.

Delta State: A mix of kinetic and non-kinetic operations denied criminal elements the freedom to act in the area.

The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, commended the troops for their vigilance and urged them to sustain efforts to ensure a secure environment for oil exploration and other economic activities in the region.

He also appealed to the public to provide actionable intelligence to support the fight against economic sabotage.