The Nigerian Army’s 6 Division, in collaboration with other security agencies, has dismantled 115 illegal refining sites and arrested 22 suspects in Rivers and Bayelsa States as part of a crackdown on oil theft and related crimes in the Niger Delta region.
Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Jonah Danjuma, announced the success in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
According to Danjuma, the operations, conducted within one week, led to the seizure of over 170,000 liters of stolen crude oil and the destruction of 66 boats used in illegal activities.
In addition to the refineries, the army recovered 27 stolen pipes, four pumping machines, and clamped down on five illegal connections used by the suspects to siphon crude oil.
The operations were carried out in several locations across Bayelsa State, including the swampy Ibidi area, Twon Brass, and Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA), where multiple illegal refining sites were dismantled. Significant quantities of stolen crude oil, estimated at over 90,000 liters, were confiscated during these raids.
In Rivers State, the army destroyed 79 illegal refining sites and recovered 40,000 liters of stolen crude oil. The army also made arrests at Degema LGA, where four suspects were caught with stolen installation pipes from Webster Global Ventures Limited.
The General Officer Commanding the 6 Division, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, commended the troops for their efforts and urged them to maintain a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal refining activities.
He also called on local communities to support the fight against oil theft, emphasizing the environmental and economic damage caused by these illegal activities.
