By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Port-Harcort
DELTA: The Nigerian Army has intensified its crackdown on oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta, dismantling 18 illegal refinery sites and recovering over 25,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in a week-long operation.
The operation, carried out by troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, led to the arrest of 17 suspected oil thieves and the seizure of multiple vehicles and boats used for illicit oil dealings.
Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah, in a statement in Port Harcourt, said the operation, conducted between February 17 and 23, targeted illegal oil operations in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states.
“In Rivers State, particularly around Kilometre 45, Idama general area in Akuku-Toru LGA, troops destroyed two active illegal refining sites and intercepted three wooden boats carrying over 9,000 litres of stolen crude. At Ogale Junction, a truck loaded with over 3,000 litres of stolen crude was impounded,” he said.
Jonah further disclosed that troops uncovered an illegal oil bunkering dump at Okwuzi in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, where over 2,100 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were stored in sacks. “The suspects fled upon sighting the troops, but we were able to seize their products,” he added.
In Bayelsa State, the army dismantled three illegal refining sites at Clough Creek in Ekeremor LGA, seized a pumping machine, and recovered over 3,500 litres of stolen crude. A similar operation in Biseni, Yenagoa LGA, led to the destruction of another refining site and the recovery of 2,000 litres of stolen crude.
The crackdown also extended to Delta State, where troops intercepted a Toyota Camry loaded with 16 cellophane bags of illegally refined AGO at Oton Village in Sapele LGA. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of six suspects. Along the Ughelli-Patani Expressway, a tricycle transporting sacks of illegally refined products was also seized.
The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, commended the troops for their efforts and urged them to sustain the momentum. “These operations are critical in denying economic saboteurs the freedom to operate and ensuring national economic stability,” he stated.
Oil theft and illegal refining have remained major challenges in the Niger Delta, with security forces intensifying efforts to curb the activities of oil bunkering syndicates.