The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder has discovered a private residence used as an illegal refining site in Okwuzi community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, told journalists, during a tour with his management team, of the illegal refining site earlier today, Wednesday, July 24, that over 200,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were impounded, while two suspects were arrested during the operation.
Igbo said the discovery was made in line with the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff to combat crude oil theft and other related vices in the Niger Delta region, adding that the achievement was made possible through a concerted intelligence-gathering effort.
“My men at the Nigerian Navy Ship NNS Pathfinder, through credible intelligence, were able to discover this place. The whole of this compound is being used as an illegal refining site,” he regretted.
“You will recall that the Nigerian Navy, a few weeks ago, relaunched Phase 3 of Operation Delta Sanity which is aimed at halting crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and sanitising the region from the menace of illegal oil bunkering and other related activities.
“This illegally refined product here is massive; some are bagged in sacks, some in drums and over 62 tanks are filled up. We have over 200,000 litres of illegal products refined from crude oil siphoned or stolen from the pipelines.
“This is too bad; it is not good enough for our economy. This is pure economic sabotage.
“We have made an arrest; the owner of this compound, being the person doing this illicit business, has been arrested with one of his boys.
“Efforts are still on to arrest everyone who is involved in this criminal act. The Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder is determined to apprehend them wherever they are, both in the water and on the land.
“The Nigerian Navy under the able leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has given us the mandate to end crude oil theft in our areas of operations. And we are poised and determined to achieve that so Nigeria’s oil output will increase and meet the OPEC quota of at least 2.5 barrels per day.”
Igbo, who advised youths in the region not to allow themselves to be used as a tool to sabotage the nation’s economy, assured that the suspects would be handed over to prosecuting agencies, while the compound would be sealed.
