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DELTA STATE, Nigeria — In a bid to curb oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army said it has dismantled 56 illegal refineries, recovering over 1.2 million liters of stolen crude, with about 17 suspects arrested in connection to oil bunkering.
The acting Deputy Director of the Army Public Relations, Jonah Danjuma who revealed this, adding that the operations was conducted between November 25 and December 1, 2024 and spanned across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states.
He noted that the operatives, in conjunction with other security agencies, executed series of raids across several bunkering sites within the period under review.
According to him, “In Bayelsa State, at an abandoned Oando wellhead in Okordia Forest, Yenagoa LGA, 15 illegal refining sites were dismantled. Troops recovered over 755,000 liters of stolen crude and 53,000 liters of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO)."
“in Biseni Forest, also in Yenagoa LGA, 12 illegal refining sites yielded 34,000 liters of stolen crude and 5,500 liters of illegally refined AGO.”
“At Kula I, general area in Akuku-Toru LGA, troops discovered one illegal connection on a 36-inch government pipeline, with a three-inch hose connected to it, used as a loading point by oil thieves. A ground reservoir containing 100,000 liters of stolen crude was also seized.
"Operations in Degema LGA, specifically around Bakana and Buguma, led to the confiscation of 27,000 litres of stolen crude and the interception of several vessels and materials used for oil theft.”
The crackdown extended to Imo River, where troops uncovered “11 illegal refining sites, 88 cooking drums, 26 metal container receivers, and 42,500 litres of stolen crude,” Danjuma disclosed.
In Delta State, Danjuma said, “A suspect led troops to a bunkering site where a storage room was found filled with stolen crude and over 200 sacks containing 40,000 litres of stolen products. At Yeye, Warri South LGA, troops dismantled an illegal refining site and confiscated 2,000 liters of illegally refined AGO.”
Akwa Ibom also saw notable success. “Troops intercepted over 5,580 litres of petroleum motor spirit at Enwang Bridge in Mbo LGA, allegedly being prepared for smuggling to a neighboring country,” Danjuma stated.
The General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Maj. Gen. Jamal Abdussalam, extolled the troops for their operational successes, emphasising the army’s resolve to safeguard critical national infrastructure and combat economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
“The fight against illegal oil bunkering will continue with the same intensity to ensure lasting security and stability in the Niger Delta region,” Abdussalam declared.
