The Central Naval Command in Yenagoa has raided six illegal refineries, operated by suspected oil thieves at Bilabiri Community in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some two million liters of illegally refined diesel and over one million substances suspected to be crude were seized during the raid.
Speaking shortly after the seizure, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Adm. Apochi Suleiman, said the illegal camps were discovered on Wednesday through intelligence gathering.
The FOC said the illegal operation covered an area of over 100 hectares dotted with stolen products in Bilabiri Community.
Suleiman said the command had deployed a combined team from Delta and Bayelsa, to ensure daily patrol of camps.
He said the command impounded six wooden boats laden with diesel, used by oil thieves to transport illegally refined products to the high sea.
The commander said that troops also discovered and seized electricity generating sets, pipes, hoses and other equipment used by thieves to siphon crude.
The FOC was accompanied by the Deputy Command Operations, Capt. Mustapha Hassan, and other officers and men.
He said that destroying the products would cause huge environmental hazard in the area.
According to him, the command has adopted zero tolerance on cued oil thrifts and pipeline vandalism, advising the oil thieves and vandals to desist from criminality in their own interest.
“The command has declared zero tolerance for any form of criminality in the region and anybody caught in the act will be seriously dealt with,” Suileman said NAN
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