The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta has discovered more than forty illegal refineries, containing over one million metric tons of stolen crude and illegally refined products at Jones Creek in Warri South-West Local Govemment Area of Delta State.
The new Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu disclosed this to journalists shortly after a raid on major illegal refining camps today.
Dewu said, “What we saw today is really far beyond comprehension because for just one camp we have discovered over 40 illegal refineries.
“The quantity of the product in the tanks and the one flowing on the ground is really much; for instance, we discovered over 200 tanks, carrying over 10,000 liters each, which were boiling, meaning the refineries were fully operating by the time we got there.”
Dewu also confirmed the arrests of three suspects during the raid on the illegal refineries.
Decrying the magnitude of the crude and illegally refined products found on the scene of the operation just, he stressed the need to quickly stop the illegal activities, which he said would continue to endanger human lives and the environment.
Dewu also stated that the Nigerian Navy Ship was engaging oil thieves and operators of illegal refineries so as to end their illicit activities and ensure that the lives and environment of the people in the Niger Delta communities were safe.
Dewu assured communities in the area that the Navy had a mandate to protect them against hazards imposed my criminal elements.
“I’m sending a message to the communities that we are equal to our task. The CNS has given us a mandate, which we must keep; we are going to continue to sustain these operations so that we’ll be able to stop all these illegal activities within the creeks, this will make the people in the communities live a normal life because as it is now, there’s no aquatic life because the environment is polluted by these activities.
“There was an ongoing operation even before the initiation of Operation Tsare Teku, we are still carrying out Operation River Sweep II. Operation Tsare Teku is to compliment this one we are doing; so, they go hand-in-hand; they are all against illegalities in the creeks and in out AOR.
“On getting to the scene, some of the suspects escaped as they saw us coming, but we arrested about three suspects, who are currently with us”.
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