Thirty-nine illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have been deactivated by troops of Operation Delta Safe, the Directorate of Defence Media Operations has said.
The statement by the directorate in Abuja on Friday said that the troops had continued to sustain their operational tempo in the fight against illegal oil production and other sundry crimes through kinetic and non-kinetic means in the South-South Zone of Nigeria.
According to the statement, the operations involving troops on land, maritime and air operations within the past 2 weeks yielded appreciable results and forestalled the activities of vandals as well as other economic saboteurs in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
It added that the operations were executed at different locations in villages, creeks and towns in Emohua, Ikwere, Port Harcourt and Ahoada Local governments of Rivers State.
The other locations include villages, towns and creeks in; Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North LGAs of Delta State as well as in Ekeremor, Brass and Southern Ijaw LGAs of Bayelsa State.
The operations were also conducted at Opobo creek and some communities in Mbo LGA of Akwa Ibom States well as Ukwa West LGA of Abia State, which yielded significant results within the period under review.
“Consequently, in the last 2 weeks, the troops discovered and immobilized a total of 39 illegal refining sites, 91 cooking ovens, 24 reservoirs, 17 large dugout pits and 96 storage tanks.
“Also, a total of 637,500 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil; 950,000 litres of stolen crude oil were recovered in the course of the operations,” the statement said, adding that 10 criminals associated with pipeline vandalism, piracy, illegal oil bunkering and armed robbery were arrested within the period.
It explained that the troops recovered 3 assorted arms, 48 rounds of different calibre of ammunition, 2 AK-47 rifle magazines as well as 17 pieces of galvanized pipes and 23 wooden boats among other items used for illegal oil bunkering activities in the course of the operations.
“All the arrested criminals and recovered items have been handed over to relevant security agencies for further action,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Benard Onyeuko, has said that Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralized a total of 37 terrorist elements in the northeast and 17 arrested.
Onyeuko told journalists on Thursday in Abuja during the bi-weekly press briefing on the operational activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria within the last two weeks that 21 assorted arms as well as 117 rounds of different calibres of ammunition, and four gun trucks were captured from the terrorists.
GIK/APA