The Joint Taskforce of the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Effurun, yesterday, uncovered a vast expanse of land hosting 18,000 illegal refineries at Escravos in Warri South Local Government area of Delta State.
????? This is even as it said that illegal refineries thrive in the state because major oil marketers allegedly are shareholders of the “illicit business” that reportedly dot every nook and cranny of the oil communities.
The operation, LEADERSHIP, reliably gathered, also uncovered 4000 large Contonu boats, 15000 large GP tanks, generators and unspecified quantity of refined products which were destroyed.
Reports indicated that the security forces, acting on a tip-off, raided the location around Saghara Flow Station belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) including the forward operating base (FOB) of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) in the state.
Speaking with newsmen in Asaba, Police Spokesman in the state, Mr. Charles Muka said that before the arrival of the military men, the illegal refinery operators had fled the scene, fueling suspicion that there could be informants within the security agencies who work for the oil thieves.
?LEADERSHIP investigation revealed that men of the battalion had recently smashed a car snatching syndicate with the arrest of its six gang members led by a 17 year old boy and recovered nine exotic cars.
Communities such as Kwale, Opai, Ozoro, Oleh Nnsukwa are focal interests of the illegal operators that have been in operation in the past 10 years.
Only last year, the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, had identified illegal refinery operators as a major challenge in the oil industry and said that unless the act was arrested the state might witness more problems in the oil industry.
Meanwhile, a middle aged man Victor (surname withheld) accused of stealing relief materials meant for flood victims at the Saint Michael’s College Oleh, has been arraigned before an area customary court in Oleh.
The suspect was alleged to have been caught attempting to remove the relief materials from the camp in an ambulance on the October 13.
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