The Nigerian Army has announced the arrest of at least 15 suspects over oil theft and illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region.
The announcement was made by the spokesperson of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Lt.-Col. Danjuma Danjuma, in a statement on Monday.
Danjuma disclosed that 32 illegal artisanal refineries were destroyed and 14 boats seized in operations carried out by troops between January 6 and 12 in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states.
He further disclosed that the troops confiscated about 60,000 litres of various petroleum products.
Breakdown of Operation
Rivers State
- Danjuma noted that seven illegal refining sites were destroyed in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State where the operation commenced.
- 20,000 litres of crude oil seized.
- Two boats destroyed
- 1,600 litres of crude oil and 1,200 litres of adulterated diesel were seized in Nkisa in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers,
“We also deactivated ten illegal refineries, several crude oil cooking pots, and receivers, and recovered about 19,000 litres of stolen petroleum products along the Imo River.
“In Odagwa, Etche, our troops intercepted three boats carrying about 12,000 litres of stolen crude oil and arrested three suspects in the process.
“Similar operations were carried out in Abiama, Asa, Obuzor, Okoloma, Ozaa, Ukwa, and Oyigbo” he added.
Imo State
- Ten illegal refineries were destroyed.
- 19,000 litres of stolen petroleum products along the Imo River
Bayelsa State
- One illegal refinery and one boat were destroyed
- 1,500 litres of crude oil were confiscated.
“In Baberegbene, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa, our soldiers dismantled an illegal artisanal refinery and intercepted a wooden boat carrying no fewer than 1,500 litres of stolen crude oil.
“Similarly, an illegal refining site containing an unquantified quantity of stolen petroleum products was deactivated in Emago-Kugbo and Oluasiri communities in Nembe, Bayelsa,” the Army spokesperson said.
On their operations in Akwa Ibom and Delta, Danjuma said, “troops maintained a strong presence and effectively denied economic saboteurs the liberty to operate.”
What you should know
Oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region are stifling growth in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, costing the country billions of dollars of revenue.
However, the menace of crude oil theft is being tackled by various operations including the Nigerian Army, the Navy, and private security companies contracted by the Federal government.
President Bola Tinubu has pledged to increase Nigeria’s crude oil above the current average of 1.5 million barrels per day to above 2.5 million bpd. Winning the war against oil theft is crucial to achieving this target.
