Illegal refineries within the Niger delta region have been
uncovered and destroyed by the Nigerian Navy.
One of the illegal sites is in Minima Community in the
Buguma axis of Rivers State in the south-south region.
The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, Commodore
Shuwa Mohammed, said the activities of the oil thieves posed grave danger to
the nation’s economy.
He reiterated the Navy’s commitment to ending the activities
of crude oil thieves in the region through routine aerial and ground
surveillance.
An air patrol over the weekend revealed a wide area ravaged
by crude oil pollution, with many pockets of illegal refineries in the region.
Oil thieves were seen in their boats with drums and jerry
cans used in syphoning crude oil for onward refining. They fled with their
speed boats when they noticed the helicopter hovering around them.
Several operators of the illegal refinery were arrested by
the naval officials, who also destroyed the illegal refineries.
A spokesman for the team said that the destruction was in
line with a directive by the Chief of Naval Staff to stop all illegal
refineries within the Niger delta region.
With large tanks, the oil thieves cook the syphoned crude
oil extracting refined products.
The illegal refining activities in the area have resulted in
a huge devastation of the area, reducing the chances of farming activities on
the vast land.
Credit: Channels
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