The Nigerian Army (troop of the 6 Division) have disrupted a significant illegal oil bunkering operation, seizing over 198,000 litres of stolen crude oil stored in a barge from the NNPCL flow station in Rivers State.
Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 6 Division divulged this information in a press statement on Monday.
The operation took place near the Cawthorne Channel I.
Soldiers apprehended five suspects in the act of siphoning crude oil from an NNPCL flow station. In addition to the arrest, authorities confiscated a barge, tugboat, and three speedboats used in the illegal operation.
In further efforts to dismantle criminal networks in the Niger Delta region, the Army has reportedly recovered over 280,000 litres of crude oil in the past week alone.
Additionally, 63 illegal oil bunkering sites and 11 illegal oil connections were discovered. In Rivers and Abia States, four illegal oil connections were identified in Ukwa West and South LGAs, and a boat carrying 3,000 litres of illegally refined products was seized.
Lt. Col. Danjuma revealed that clearance operations targeting illegal refining sites have been carried out across various communities, resulting in the destruction of 42 sites and the recovery of 13,000 litres of stolen crude oil, alongside numerous boats and refining equipment.
Notable operations occurred in Okoloma, Obuzor, Alakiri, and Omoku.
Similar successes were recorded in Bayelsa and Delta States, where illegal refineries were dismantled, suspects arrested, and thousands of litres of stolen oil recovered. A gas pipeline vandalism attempt was also thwarted in Delta State’s Okpai community.
Major General Jamal Abdussalam, Commander of the 6 Division, assured the public that the Army would continue to target illegal oil bunkering networks to ensure the safety of oil exploration and production in the region.
