The troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, have arrested 62 suspected economic saboteurs, deactivated 14 illegal refining sites, seized five boats and confiscated over 350,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in the Niger Delta region.
The Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, who confirmed the feats on Sunday, said in Rivers State, around an abandoned wellhead at Joinkrama 4 in Ahoada West Local Government Area (LGA), troops deactivated six illegal refining sites.
He said six large ovens, reservoirs, and receivers containing approximately 300,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 21,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), were handled in line with subsisting operational mandate.
He named other items recovered at the site as a generator set, welding machine, and several shovels.
Danjuma said around Obiafor in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA (ONELGA), several illegal refining sites were dismantled by the troops.
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According to him three dugout pits were discovered, two filled with over 5,700 litres of stolen crude and one containing unquantified stolen AGO.
He said: “Additionally, two boats loaded with ten sacks of condensates were intercepted at the riverside in Obiafor. Troops also intercepted a Sienna vehicle with no registration number, loaded with 32 sacks filled with over 1,920 litres of stolen AGO, at Elele Town in Ikwerre LGA.
“Likewise, an illegal connection point was discovered, along with a dugout pit filled with over 1,200 litres of condensates. Recovered items included three 150-meter-long hoses, eight metal drums, and several ovens set up for illicit refining”.
Danjuma said in Bayelsa State, around Biseni in Yenagoa LGA, troops deactivated four illegal refining sites and four dugout pits.
He said over 10,000 litres of stolen AGO were confiscated, and five cooking ovens were dismantled adding that the troops were also combing the creeks and rivulets to crack down on economic saboteurs.
Danjuma said following a tip-off, troops projected force from Javel Sharp Sand Waterside to Gana Road in Sapele LGA of Delta State, where two suspected oil thieves were apprehended.
“They were arrested with two boats loaded with 30 cellophane bags filled with over 1,500 litres of illegally refined AGO”, he said.
In Akwa Ibom State, he said the troops had continued to dominate the operational landscape, effectively denying criminal elements freedom of action.
Danjuma quoted the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major-General Emmanuel Eric Emekah as commending the troops for their successes and charging them to sustain the operational tempo to continue denying economic saboteurs any freedom of action.