Military Raids Illegal Refineries, Recovers Over 7000 Barrels Of Crude Oil, 2600 Gallons Of Gas In Niger Delta

Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Thursday disclosed that in two weeks of operations, the troops attached to the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe seized 7,805 barrels of stolen crude worth N537million from economic saboteurs.

Major General Musa Danmadami, Director, Defence Media Operations, while briefing newsmen revealed that this at the bi-weekly briefing on military operations that took place from September 8 to 22, 2022.

He stated that the military would maintain offensive actions against oil thieves and economic saboteurs through kinetic operations in order to deny criminal elements freedom of action and provide a suitable atmosphere for economic activity.
He added that troops from Operation DELTA SAFE conducted patrol, raids, clearance, and swamp buggy operations in Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states’ waterways, villages, communities, and cities.
According to him, troops located and destroyed many illegal refining operations, 17 wooden boats, 103 storage tanks, 94 ovens, and 58 dugout pits used by crude oil thieves.

He added that the military recovered 10 trucks, one generator, one tanker, two cars, eight pumping machines, 7,805 barrels of crude oil, 2,613 gallons of automotive gas oil, and 17 pipeline vandals.
He equally revealed that a total of N134,670,255.72 of Automotive Gas Oil and N402,419,846.04 were denied the oil thieves.

“Accordingly, a total approximated value of product denied oil thieves within the period under review was Five Hundred and Thirty Seven Million Ninety Thousand One Hundred and Two Naira (N537,090,102.12),” he explained.

In a related event, military apprehended four suspected armed robbers during a raid at Okpokumu community in Delta State’s Burutu local government area and Iduodah community in Rivers State’s Ahoada West local government area.

He continued: “Cumulatively, within the weeks in focus, troops recovered 1,953 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 212 jerrycans of 30 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2 vehicles, 2 wooden boats and 1 motorcycle as well as arrested 3 suspected smugglers. Furthermore, operatives of the Nigerian Custom Services along Ijebu Ode-Ibadan road in Ijebu Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State, intercepted a truck containing 20 drums of calcium carbide and 41 pairs of military camouflage.

“All recovered items were handed over to the Nigerian Custom Services while the arrested 2 passenger boats with the 13 teenage girls and the 2 suspected traffickers were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further action.”