Troops of the Nigerian Military have seized about a million litres of crude oil believed to have been stolen from wellheads in Rivers State.
Brig.-Gen. Eddie Effiong, Commander, 6 Division Garrison, Nigerian Military, Port Harcourt, disclosed this on Saturday when he led journalists on a tour of unlawful bunkering websites in Odagwa neighborhood in Etche, Rivers State.
He stated that troops found the crude oil saved in eight massive reservoirs following a tip-off in regards to the operation of unlawful refineries in a dense forest within the space.
“The tip-off indicated that after we had destroyed an unlawful refinery across the space beforehand, the oil thieves regrouped and re-established one other website reverse the previous location.
“We discovered eight reservoirs and 5 coking pots on the new website, with every reservoir having a minimal of 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
“Altogether, the reservoirs on the website maintain at least a million litres of stolen crude oil, awaiting to be refined into diesel,’’ he stated.
Effiong added that the division had initiated measures to curb all unlawful refining operations in its 4 protection states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers.
“We’ll maintain trailing the oil thieves and proceed to destroy their unlawful refining websites no matter how tough the terrain is likely to be.
“We’re additionally speaking to them by way of their village heads and youth leaders and urging them to resign their unlawful actions to pursue legit companies.
“The nation’s economic system closely depends on crude oil; the extra they interact on this criminality, the extra it impacts negatively on the economic system and on all of us,’’ he confused.
Effiong famous that present financial hardship within the nation shouldn’t be an excuse for involvement in crime and in felony actions.
He famous additionally that the nation was already bearing the brunt of oil theft, and continued indulgence in such acts would exacerbate the scenario.
“We urge these concerned in these unlawful actions to desist instantly and search lawful technique of livelihood,’’ he suggested.