Nigerian Army Troops in the Niger Delta have dismantled no fewer than 66 illegal refining sites and disrupted a complex network of oil theft operations.
According to a statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, troops uncovered and destroyed 68 crude oil cooking ovens, 13 dugout pits, 41 boats, and 45 storage tanks.
Items seized include four speedboats, one pumping machine, 150 drums, one generator, two motorcycles, two mobile phones, a drone, and five vehicles.
Additionally, security forces recovered 657,470 liters of stolen crude oil, 127,870 liters of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 5,000 liters of Dual-Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
According to Buba, troops also neutralised 148 criminals and arrested 258 suspects, including 51 individuals implicated in oil theft. Furthermore, 291 kidnapped hostages were successfully rescued.
“Troops recovered 146 assorted weapons and 2,599 rounds of ammunition. The cache included 72 AK-47 rifles, 33 fabricated rifles, 28 Dane guns, two locally made submachine guns, and a range of other weaponry. Ammunition recovered included 1,596 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and 636 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition.
“Other items seized were 36 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones, three vehicles, and ₦1.8 million in cash,” he added.
