Troops of the Nigerian Army have within the last two weeks, arrested 22 illegal oil refiners in Delta and Cross River states, both in the Niger Delta region of the country.
Disclosing this to newsmen on Thursday at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters Abuja, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, said its troops has also rescued a total 91 kidnapped hostages held across parts of the country.
Buba said while maintaining the momentum against oil thieves, troops destroyed several illegal refining sites and recovered stolen products in the Niger Delta.
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 38 dugout pits, 21 boats, 57 storage tanks, 3 tapping hoses, 4 drum receivers, 89 cooking ovens, 6 pumping machine, 3 outboard engines and 34 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 696,250 litres of stolen crude oil, 54,400 litres of illegally refined AGO and 1,200 litres PMS,” he said while breifing journalists.
“Troops also raided criminal hideout and foiled robbery activities Okpe and Akamkpa LGA of Delta and Cross River States respectively,” he added.
On combined efforts of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Gen. Buba said the “air component of Operation DELTA SAFE conducted air interdictions at the Cawthorne Channel. Troops sighted an active Illegal Refining Sites with reservoirs and a storage tank containing illegally refined products. Subsequently, troops engaged with rockets and cannons destroying the equipment and structures”.
The military high command further warned that it has “decoded the modus operandi” of criminal groups across the country, and would do the needful to take them out in no time.