The Nigerian Army has successfully targeted illegal oil bunkering operations in the Niger Delta, leading to the capture of 19 suspects and the confiscation of over 260,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.
In a statement on Sunday, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of the 6 Division Army Public Relations, announced the results of the operation, which dismantled 43 illegal refining hubs across the region.
The operation, primarily focused in Rivers State, saw troops dismantling seven illegal oil refining hubs in the Abesa and Kula areas of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area (LGA), recovering more than 60,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). Troops also destroyed 11 vehicles, 21 boats, and 11 motorcycles used in the theft.
In Buguma Creeks, soldiers destroyed four active refining hubs, eight large cooking pots, and multiple local boats stocked with over 12,500 litres of stolen products.
Further operations in various localities, including Odagwa, Akwa, and Oza West, led to the interception of numerous wooden boats, totaling over 10,000 litres of stolen petroleum.
“This operation has dealt a significant blow to the illegal oil bunkering syndicates in the region,” stated Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma, highlighting the military’s ongoing commitment to eradicating oil theft in the Niger Delta.
