Troops of Operation Delta Safe have intensified their crackdown on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, destroying 56 illegal refining sites in just one week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, made this disclosure on Friday in Abuja while presenting the weekly update on military operations across the region.
Kangye revealed that the troops also seized 675,266 litres of stolen crude oil, 312,593 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 4,500 litres of DPK during the period under review.
Additionally, the troops discovered and destroyed 51 crude oil cooking ovens, 49 dugout pits, 43 boats, 28 storage tanks, and 131 drums.
Other recovered items included four pumping machines, four tricycles, three motorcycles, seven mobile phones, and eight vehicles.
“Additionally, 31 oil thieves and other criminals were arrested, 103 assorted arms and ammunition as well as three extra magazines were also recovered among others,” he said.
Kangye further disclosed that between March 5 and March 10, troops apprehended 11 suspected criminals and rescued four kidnap victims in Bakassi and Onelga GAs of Cross River and Rivers states, as well as Warri South, Sapele, Uvwie, and Ughelli areas of Delta.
He added that the air component of the operation carried out surveillance and reconnaissance missions over Imo River, Owaza, Ohaji/Egbema, Abacheke, Nembe, Okpokiri, Tomkiri, Brass, and Belema.
These aerial missions, according to Kangye, played a crucial role in the successful destruction of illegal refining sites, boats, vehicles, and other equipment used in crude oil theft and related criminal activities.
