In a significant crackdown on illicit activities in the Niger Delta region, the military Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), has revealed the discovery of 50 illegal refining sites nestled within the Biseni forest in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Rear Admiral John Okeke, the Commander of OPDS, spearheaded the operation, which exposed the extensive network of operations conducted by oil thieves in the area.
According to Rear Admiral Okeke, the uncovered sites were actively engaged in the illegal refining of stolen crude oil on a daily basis until the intervention of the military Joint Task Force.
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While addressing newsmen following the operation, Okeke disclosed alarming details about the scale and sophistication of the illicit activities.
“A large dugout open pit found in one of the illegal refining sites can accommodate more than 10 trucks of Alternative Gas Oil (AGO), holding crude oil from where they distribute to their cooking site,” Okeke revealed.
He emphasized that despite prior warnings issued to oil thieves in the region to desist from their illegal activities or relocate, the illicit operations persisted.
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Describing the logistics behind the illicit operations, Okeke explained, “The thieves operating in this area decided to be so smart by connecting what is called theft line made of two inches pipe, a galvanized pipe connecting directly to supply oil line on the road, from a distance of one kilometer”.
The discovery of these illegal refining sites underscores the persistent challenge of oil theft and pipeline vandalism plaguing the Niger Delta region.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, highlighted the devastating impact of such criminal activities on the nation’s economy during the inauguration of the New Headquarters Naval Training Command in Ebubu community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
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Abbas lamented Nigeria’s staggering loss of an estimated 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day to oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other forms of criminality, resulting in annual revenue losses amounting to N1.29 trillion.
The revelation serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for coordinated efforts to curb illegal activities in the oil-rich region and safeguard Nigeria’s vital economic interests.