Troops of the Land Component, Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe, have successfully eradicated several illegal oil refining sites in Rivers and Bayelsa States. This decisive action was confirmed by the Nigerian Army.
Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt Col. Jonah Danjuma, revealed the accomplishment in a statement delivered to journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday morning.
It is part of a concerted effort to clamp down on the activities of illegal oil bunkering operators in the Niger Delta Region, as stated by Danjuma. The military has intensified its operations against these criminal groups to boost oil production in the oil and gas-rich region.
The troops identified and destroyed multiple illegal refining sites in both states. In Rivers State, Sector 3 troops of the Land Component successfully eliminated three illegal refining sites in Odagwa, Etche Local Government Area. This operation resulted in seizing and destroying over 30,000 liters of illicitly obtained and refined products.
During operations at Akaso field towards Cawthorne channel, near well 9, soldiers unearthed an illegal refining site, three receivers, and an extensive network of pipes used to transport stolen crude to clandestine refineries.
The mission also led to the confiscation and destruction of various items deemed necessary to maintain and operate the illegal refining sites, aligning with the directives of Operation DELTA SAFE in the Niger Delta Region.
In a similar vein, in Bayelsa State, Sector 2 troops seized over 12,000 liters of stolen and illegally refined products during routine operations in the creeks and waterways along Dasaba Creek in Nembe LGA. The haul included a Fibre Boat, Five Ovens, multiple metal drums, and substantial storage tanks serving as reservoirs for the illicit operations.