Wike declares 19 operators of illegal refineries wanted

Governor Nyesom Wike on Sunday declared 19 operators of illegal refineries wanted in Rivers State.

Governor Wike in a broadcast in Port Harcourt warned that he may be forced to expose more accomplices of illegal refiners in the state. The governor ordered the Head of Service in Rivers State “to query and possibly recommend the prosecution of a permanent secretary in the Rivers State Civil Service for aiding the operation of illegal refineries in the state.”

Wike further directed “the immediate prosecution of those arrested for illegal trading and contravening the ban on the use of motorcycles in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt.”

The governor maintained that the restriction on the use of motorcycles in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt, as well as the use of makeshift buildings and umbrellas by traders in the G.R.A phases one and two, are still in force.

Illegal refiners of crude oil have been serious threat to the economy of the state, diverting revenue.