SPONSOR AD
Naval operatives seal building converted to illegal refinery in Rivers
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Officers of the Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder have sealed up a private residence that was converted into an illegal refinery located in the Okwuzi community of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
During the raid of the area by a military team, over 200,000 litres of illegally-refined Automotive Gas Oil, popularly known as diesel, was confiscated in the apartment.
The Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo spoke to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
He said three suspects, including the owner of the building were arrested during the operation. He added that the property has also been seized.
Commodore Igbo said that the illegally-refined product was siphoned from pipelines and bagged in sacks and several tanks in the compound.
“My men at the Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder, through credible intelligence, were able to discover this place. The whole of this compound is being used as an illegal refining site.
“You will recall that the Nigerian Navy, a few weeks ago, relaunched the third phase of Operation Delta Sanity, which is aimed at halting crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, and sanitising the region from the menace of illegal oil bunkering and other related activities.
- Customs impounds illicit drugs worth N11bn in Rivers
- Navy kills oil thief during firefight
- ‘How NDLEA operatives intercepted N9.8bn codeine consignment in Rivers’
“This illegally-refined product here is massive; some it is bagged in sacks, some in drums and over 62 tanks are filled up.
“We have over 200,000 litres of illegal products refined from crude oil siphoned or stolen from the pipelines.
“This is too bad; it is not good for our economy. This is pure economic sabotage.”
Commodore Igbo also said: “We have made arrests, the owner of this compound, being the person doing this illicit business, has been arrested with one of his boys. Efforts are still on to arrest everyone who is involved in this criminal act.
“The Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder is determined to apprehend them wherever they are, both in the water and on the land.”
“The Nigerian Navy, under the able leadership of Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has given us the mandate to end crude oil theft in our areas of operations.
“We are poised and determined to achieve that so that Nigeria’s oil output will increase and meet the OPEC quota of at least 2.5 barrels per day.”
The NNS Pathfinder commander who said the suspects would be handed over to prosecuting agencies, advised youths in the region to shun being used as tools to sabotage the nation’s economy but rather engage in meaningful activities.
