Operatives of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, FOB, Igbokoda in Ondo State have destroyed 182,000 litres of crude oil in an illegal refinery at Biokpu/Opouama riverine communities within Awoye general area in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo state.
The operation was a coordinated surface and air assault with Naval helicopter.
Inside the refinery were nine locally made ovens and four boats with 60 kegs of illegally refined petroleum products.
Commanding Officer of the Base, Navy Captain Wasuku Alushi, who spoke in a statement, said the Operation was in furtherance of the mandate of Operations Delta Sanity.
Captain Alushi said the destroyed refined product was worth about N97m.
Alushi explained that Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command Rear Admiral Mustapha Bala Hassan launched a special Air Operations that provided aerial intelligence on criminal hideouts and other hot spots in the Area.
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“This need to involve the helicopters was informed by an earlier threat assessment of the environment. ‘We assessed that we needed additional layer of protection from the Air as well as the need for precision we in order to avoid collateral damage to nearby national assets.
“Although we have not been able to nab any suspect yet, because of the difficult nature of the terrain, most of them must have absconded during the time of survey, but we are working closely with the community leaders and sister security agencies to gather information that would lead arrest of the perpetrators.
“We are sending warning to the criminals that are involving themselves in this illegal refinery that they should desist, because we will go after them,” he said.