Nigerian Army Destroys Illegal Oil Bunkering Sites in Rivers, Bayelsa

The Nigerian Army has destroyed several illegal oil bunkering sites in Rivers and Bayelsa, intensifying its crackdown.

The Land Component (LC), Joint Task Force (JTF) South South (SS), Operation DELTA SAFE (OPDS) troops are intensifying their efforts to combat illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta Region. This signifies a renewed commitment towards curbing the activities of criminal networks involved in this practice.

In a statement made on Thursday, August 8, 2024 by Acting Deputy Director of the Army Public Relations for the 6 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma disclosed that troops had intensified their vigilance and achieved success in recognizing and thwarting illicit refining sites (IRS) located in Rivers as well as Bayelsa States.

Sector 3 troops, under the LC JTF SS OPDS command in Rivers State, effectively acted on reliable intel and successfully discovered three illicit refining sites situated at Odagwa within Etche Local Government Area (LGA).

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The ensuing operation yielded an impressive result thanks to large confiscations amounting to more than 30,000 liters of stolen oil products that were illegally refined and subsequently destroyed.

Furthermore, an IRS was discovered by troops at Akaso Field which stretched towards Cawthorne Channel adjacent to Well 9. In additional findings, three receivers and far reaching networks of pipes were also unearthed that facilitated the transportation of pilfered crude oil to refining sites.

The seized items were dismantled as per Operation DELTA SAFE’s obligations.

In Bayelsa State, Sector 2 soldiers seized more than 12,000 liters of pilfered and illicitly processed substances during their regular patrolling of creeks, waterways, and rivulets around Dasaba Creek in Nembe LGA. Moreover, the mission resulted in a haulage of several materials such as fiberglass boat, five ovens regardless with large metal barrels or containers serving as oil storage for unlawfully obtained fuel.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army and Land Component Commander, Major General Jamal Abdussalam praised his troops for their renewed efforts and encouraged them to maintain this momentum in stopping criminal activities from occurring in NDR. He emphasized that not only would it protect pipeline integrity but also increase oil production in the area which is aligned with Operation DELTA SAFE’s mission.

The Nigerian military’s ongoing dedication to securing the Niger Delta and maintaining stability in the crucial oil industry is underscored by this intensified crackdown.