Troops intercept boats, vehicle at bunkering sites

Troops of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with the operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in anti-oil theft operations at teh weekend, intercepted boats and vehicles loaded with petroleum products at bunkering sites in Delta State.

READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu puts #LagosOnTrack with Blue Line Rail

The Director of Army Public Relations, Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Monday, disclosed that troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion, conducting anti oil theft operations on Saturday 2 September 2023, cracked down on oil thieves’ camps in Owahwa Creek in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State.

Refining site burst by Troops

Bunkering site burst by Troops

He said that in the crackdown, the vigilant troops discovered 12 active illegal refining sites, 60 crude oil cooking ovens, 14 reservoirs, 6 wooden boats laden with stolen crude and 470 sacks of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) concealed in the camps.

READ ALSO: Troops kill kidnappers, arrest gunrunners

The full statement reads:

Nigerian Army
@HQNigerianArmy

ANTI OIL THEFT OPERATIONS: TROOPS UNCOVER ILLEGAL OIL BUNKERING SITES IN OWAHWA, TSELEKU COMMUNITIES IN DELTA STATE, INTERCEPT BOATS, VEHICLE LADEN WITH ILLEGAL OIL PRODUCTS

Troops of the Nigerian Army (NA) in synergy with personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (@official_NSCDC) have continued to crack down on saboteurs of Nigeria’s oil sector in Southern Nigeria.

Troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion conducting anti oil theft operations on Saturday 2 September 2023, cracked down on oil thieves’ camps in Owahwa Creek in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta state. In the crackdown, the vigilant troops discovered 12 active illegal refining sites, 60 crude oil cooking ovens, 14 reservoirs, 6 wooden boats laden with stolen crude and 470 sacks of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) concealed in the camps.

Arrested oil thief

Relatedly, same troops also intercepted a vehicle conveying 25 polytene bags of suspected illegally refined AGO in Ogbodu Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.

READ ALSO: 2023 Headies Awards: Who took home the gongs?

In a similar operation, also conducted on 2 September 2023, troops of 3 Battalion, intercepted two wooden boats laden with stolen crude in Tsekelewu, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta state. The troops also arrested two suspects in connection with the crime. Both suspects and the illegal products have been handed over to NSCDC personnel attached to Tantita Security Services for further action.

Members of the public are please implored to report any suspected act of sabotage or criminality to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations to curb economic sabotage in the country.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Brigadier General
Director Army Public Relations