The Defence Headquarters said on Thursday that troops have denied thieves access to oil products worth not less than N3,708,259,338.00 in the past two weeks.
This came about as troops of Operation DELTA SAFE intensified it’s war against oil theft, illegal bunkering and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta.
Major General Musa Danmadami ,the new Director of Defence Media Operations disclosed this while briefing on the activities of military and other security agencies from August 11 to 25, 2022. He said operations are ongoing to sustain a conducive environment for economic activities to thrive in the South South region of the Country.
He said that in line with it’s assigned duties, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE conducted operation OCTOPUS GRIP and operation DAKAR DA BARAWO to tame criminal activities in creeks, villages, communities and towns.
“During the operations troops discovered and destroyed several illegal refining sites, which includes, 493 dugout pits, 512 storage tanks, 413 cooking ovens and 59 wooden boats.
“Also, troops recovered 4 tankers, 2 speed boats, one generator, one outboard engine, 14 pumping machines, 3 AK47 rifles, Twenty Five Thousand Nine Hundred Seventy Seven and Fifteen (25,977.15) Barrel of crude oil, Three Million Two Hundred and Thirty Six Thousand One Hundred and Thirty (3,236,130) litres of Automotive Gas Oil, Twenty Six Thousand Five Hundred and Seventy Five (26,575) litres of Premium Motor Spirit and Two Thousand (2,000) litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine.
21 pipelines vandals and items that were recovered from them were handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action.
“Cumulatively, a total value of products denied oil thieves from the period in review are One Billion Three Hundred and Thirteen Million Twenty Thousand Two Hundred Forty Two Naira (N1,313,020,242.00) only of crude oil, Two Billion Three Hundred Seventy Four Million Six Hundred and Seven Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy One Naira (N2,374,607,471.00) only of AGO, Four Million Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Five Naira (N4,650,625.00) only of PMS and Fifteen Million Nine Hundred and Eighty One Thousand Naira (N15,981,000.00) only of DPK”, he stated.
While,” a grand total of Three Billion Seven Hundred and Eight Million Two Hundred and Fifty Nine Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty Eight Naira (N3,708,259,338.00) only was denied the oil thieves.”
Major General Danmadami said that in the South East Zone troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies have sustained their operation aimed at curbing the illegal activities of the Proscribe Indigenous People of Biafra in the South East zone and are restoring normalcy to the region.
According to him, between August 15 and 21, 2022, the joint security patrol carried out raid and clearance operations in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Similar clearance operations were also conducted in Anambra and Abia States against suspected Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network militia camps.
A member of the group was arrested and troops recovered one AK42 assault rifle, 6 pump action guns, 1 locally made barretta gun, 5 locally fabricated doubled barrel guns, 98 live cartridges, 2 machetes, 2 axe, 20 motorcycles, a pair of police camouflage uniform, 1 military camouflage uniform and a ballistics vest.
While in the South West Zone, troops of Operation ATWASE with their operation SWIFT RESPONSE continued to clamp down on smugglers of contraband in the borders area, bushes and waterside in Ogun State and Kwara State.
He said that within the period
items recovered during the raid operations include 1,542 jerricans of Premium Motor Spirit, 311 bags of 50kg foreign rice and a truck loaded with substances suspected to be cannabis sativa.
All recovered items were handed over to Nigeria Customs Service in Ogun State and Kwara State for further necessary action, he added.