Ongoing operations against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta Region (NDR) have yielded significant results.
Confirming the report, Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations Lieut. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma said between December 9 and 15, 2024, troops dismantled 42 illegal refining sites, arrested 29 suspected oil thieves, and seized 197,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.
He added that 32 boats, 12 vehicles, and eight motorcycles used in the operations were neutralized.
In Bayelsa, multiple operations led to the deactivation of illegal refining sites.
At Biseni Forest in Yenagoa Local Government Area (LGA), four sites were dismantled, and 37,000 litres of stolen crude were recovered.
Similar breakthroughs occurred at Okordia Forest near the Oando Wellhead, with 29,900 litres of refined crude and 2,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) seized.
In Nembe LGA, troops intercepted a wooden boat carrying over 5,000 litres of stolen crude at Olukama and Sabasuo, while at Igbomotoru Creek in Southern Ijaw, another boat with 1,000 litres of stolen crude was recovered.
Troops in Rivers State recorded notable achievements as well. At Kula in Akuku-Toru LGA, three illegal refining sites and six boats were intercepted, along with over 30,000 litres of stolen crude. In Degema LGA, two refining sites and two wooden boats with 4,000 litres of stolen crude were dismantled.
Along the Imo River, 13 refining sites, 73 drum pots, 40 drum receivers, and 28,500 litres of stolen products were neutralized.
Other seizures occurred in areas such as Elele-Omoku Road, Alesa in Eleme LGA, and Bonny Island.
In Delta State, operations at Aronwon Community in Warri North LGA led to the deactivation of an active refining site containing five ovens, one boat, and 5,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.
At Uvwie LGA, three tanker trucks loaded with suspected illegal AGO were intercepted at a filling station, resulting in the arrest of five suspects.
Major General Jamal Abdussalam, General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, commended the troops for their dedication and reaffirmed that the operations would continue to meet the targets set for December 2024.
