. Arrests 2, seizes over 200,000 litres of diesel
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Officers and men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, on Wednesday busted a private residence converted to an illegal refining site in Okwuzi community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Commander of the Base, NNS PATHFINDER, Commodore Desmond Igbo who led the military team on a tour to the illegal refining site, told journalists that over two hundred thousand (200,000) litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), popularly known as diesel was confiscated, while two suspects were arrested during the operation.
Igbo said the discovery which was made in line with the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff to combat crude oil theft and other related vices in the Niger Delta region, was possible through concerted effort of intelligence gathering.
He said, “My men at the Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER, through credible intelligence, we were able to discover this place. The whole of this compound is being used as illegal refining site.
“You will recall that Nigerian Navy, few weeks ago relaunched the third phase of the Operation Delta Sanity which is aimed at halting crude oil theft in Niger Delta, and sanitising the region from the menace of illegal oil bunkering and other related activities.”
The Commander said, “The illegally refined products here is massive, some are bagged in sacks, some in drums and over 62 tanks is filled up, we have over two hundred thousand (200,000) litres of illegal products refined from crude oil siphoned or stolen from the pipelines.
“This is too bad, it is not good enough for our economy. This is pure economic sabotage.
“We have made arrests, the owner of this compound, being the person doing this illicit business have 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, and we are poised and determined to achieve that, so that the Nigeria oil out put will increase and meet the OPEC quota of atleast 2.5 barrels per day.”
He noted that the suspects will be handed over to prosecuting agencies, while the compound will be sealed.
Commander Igbo however, advised youths in the region not to allow themselves to be used as tools to sabotage the nation’s economy.
