Men of the Anti-Crude Oil Theft patrol team of the Nigeria Navy Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Sunday, said they intercepted and destroyed 15,775 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, in Igbokoda, headquarters of the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The military said the destroyed product was worth millions of naira.
The Executive Officer of the base, Commander Humphrey Nnaji, on behalf of the Commanding Officer, Capt. Wasuku Alushi, disclosed this on Sunday.
According to him, the illegal products were destroyed in accordance with the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe mandate on crude oil theft.
So far, within six weeks of the CO’s assumption of the command, the base has made great strides in the arrest and destruction of illegally refined products all in accordance with OPDS directive/mandate.
“On October 23, 2023, a wooden boat laden with about 2,000 litres of suspected illegally refined crude products was intercepted and destroyed at Awoye. In another operation on the same day based on credible intelligence, the base discovered an illegal storage site with approximately 5,000 litres of illegal products at Ugbo-Nla, which was destroyed in accordance with OPDS directives.
“In furtherance of the base operations against COT, on October 23, the base stormed an IRS at Obe-Akinboye in Obenla community, which was observed to be under reactivation for illegal refining of illegally refined AGO, which was also destroyed in accordance with the mandate. On 30 October, the base also discovered a storage facility for illegally refined products at old market road Igbokoda with 11 by 25 litres containers of illegally refined products totalling 275 litres,” he stated.
