Troops of the 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, have intensified their offensives against illegal refining operations along the Niger River, bordering Ndokwa East and Ndoni Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Delta and Rivers States.
The operation, carried out based on credible intelligence, led to the confiscation and destruction of several items, including eight cooking pots, three storage tanks, three massive storage dugouts, and twelve feeders.
Also seized were three cooking drums, a complex network of pipes and hoses, and over 2,000 litres of crude oil stored in a metallic oven, among other materials.
Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, disclosed that troops also seized two wooden boats loaded with over 10,000 litres of condensates.
The boats were abandoned by fleeing criminals in the creeks and have been handled in line with Operation DELTA SAFE’s mandate.
In a related development, troops of the 5 Battalion arrested eight suspects along the Orashi River in Onne LGA, Rivers State.
The suspects were apprehended with motorcycles carrying over 2,000 litres of condensates.
Additionally, the 29 Battalion troops destroyed nine more illegal refining sites near the Imo River, which housed over 15,000 litres of illegally refined products.
The suspects have been handed over to the relevant authorities for prosecution.
Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma urged the public, especially those in communities near these illegal activities, to report any suspicious operations to security agencies.
He also expressed concern about the environmental damage caused by these criminal activities in the region.
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