The Joint Task Force (JTF) conducted a raid on artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta, resulting in the arrest of eight individuals. This operation is part of ongoing efforts to combat illegal oil refining and protect the region’s resources.
The Nigerian Army’s 5 Battalion troops have heightened their efforts to combat illegal refining in Rivers State, resulting in the arrest of eight suspects and confiscation of more than 2,000 litres of condensate.
The illegal products were being transported via motorcycles along the Orashi River in the Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area (LGA), resulting in multiple arrests.
The Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah, announced in a statement that the operations are aimed at tackling illegal bunkering and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region as part of their wider efforts.
Moreover, the 29 Battalion soldiers detected and annihilated nine illicit refining locations near Imo River while confiscating more than 15,000 liters of unlawfully refined substances. The culprits have been submitted to appropriate law-enforcing officials for trial as stated in the announcement.
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In an additional mission, Lt. Col. Danjuma explained that the 63 Brigade of the Nigerian Army received assistance from various security organizations to demolish unlawful refining locations within close proximity to River Niger’s edges in Delta and Rivers States’ Ndokwa East and Ndoni LGAs areas.
He revealed that based on reliable intelligence, the soldiers dismantled multiple objects such as eight cooking pots, three storage tanks, three big dugouts for storing items and twelve feeders. Additionally, they also disposed of more than 2,000 litres of crude oil which was kept in a metallic oven.
According to the Deputy Director of Media for 6 Division, criminals left two wooden boats in the creeks that were discovered and seized. The boats contained over 10,000 litres of condensates and undergone proper execution under Operation Delta Safe’s orders.
According to the statement, the Nigerian Army has requested inhabitants of influenced communities to notify security agencies about any illicit activities and underlined that such unlawful operations entail substantial environmental risks.
