Oil theft: Army busts massive storage facilities in Bayelsa, Rivers

From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army (NA), have uncovered massive dumps, where illegally refined products worth over 200,000 litres in Bayelsa and Rivers States were stored.

Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Thursday, said in Bayelsa State, the discovery was made at Dasaba Creek, where an illegal refining site, an oven and a massive metal reservoir containing products suspected to be stolen crude oil estimated at over 110,000 litres was uncovered.

Similarly, in Rivers State, troops swooped on over 33,000 litres being siphoned into a tank.

Danjuma disclosed that the operation was painstakingly conducted by troops, who traced an interconnected hose to a tank from Indorama (Eleme Petrochemicals) pipeline, far behind the fence in the bush.

He said several items where also recovered from the sites, which included two pumping machines, long hose and 11 drums used to perpetrate criminality in the general area.

The Army spokesperson stated: “Relatedly, troops of 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, while on routine patrols, successfully intercepted trucks ladened with products suspected to be stolen crude in Delta State.

“The arrest was made at SEPLAT Energy Nigeria Ltd trunkline, Mosogar. During the operation, the truck was discovered to have over 30,000 litres of stolen products. The trucks have been handled in line with the subsisting mandate of OPDS in the NDR region.

“Similarly, troops of 16 Brigade, Nigerian Army, intercepted a truck with Reg No Delta UDH 983 XR along Elebele-Emeyal road in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

“The truck was also ladened with over 30,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude.

“Also, troops deployed at Cawthorne Channel 1, in conjunction with other security agencies successfully deactivated one illegal refining site with over 5,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude. The site was located close to Well Head 8, behind Glisten Community in Degema LGA, Rivers State. ”

Danjuma continued that the breakthroughs recorded were addition to other seizures made within the general area.

He revealed that four suspects were arrested along Udoni Obiafu in Onne LGA.

The suspects were: Freedom Effiong, Behaviour Power, Timothy Onyebuchi and Lovetg Ifeanyi.

Army said the suspects would be handed over to relevant agencies for prosecution.

The APR added that the feats were results of the renewed effort by troops to effectively clampdown on economic saboteurs and their collaborators.

Army appealed: “Accordingly, members of the public are please enjoined to provide actionable intelligence on the activities of these economic saboteurs in their vicinity to security agencies.”