The Defence Headquarters announced on Thursday that it discovered 57 illegal refineries and intercepted stolen crude oil worth more than N1 billion in one week.
On Thursday, the 82nd Division of the Nigerian Army discovered and set fire to three illicit refineries at Obuaku and Imo River in the Ipu West towns of Abia State’s Ukwa West Local Government Area.
12 boats and six vehicles were set on fire during the “Operation Dragon Spit” operation, which was overseen by Maj. Gen. Hassan Dada, General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Enugu.
Speaking with reporters in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, the GOC said, “What we discovered here is unbelievable compared to what we discovered at Obuaku last time. That of Obuaku is a child’s play when compared with what we saw today.
“We have counted over 30 of these illegal refineries, and we are still counting. This is just a phase of our Operation Dragon Spit. We are still monitoring, and the operation is still continuing.
“All I am assuring is that for anybody who is an economic saboteur, it is just a matter of time before they face the consequences.
“Inasmuch as Operation Dragon Spit, under the auspices of Operation Udoka, is going on, we will not relent in our efforts to make sure that all the culprits are brought to book.
“We cannot, as we have been mandated, allow this amount of economic sabotage and degradation of the environment. No stone will be left unturned to make sure that oil bunkering will not be allowed within the area of responsibility of Operation Udoka.”
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday that the military had busted 57 illegal refineries in the previous week and stopped the theft of crude oil worth N1 billion.
Buba said, “During the week under review, troops neutralised 187 and arrested 183 people. Troops also arrested 26 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 109 kidnapped hostages.
“In the South-South, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of N1,127,229,890.00 only. Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 18 dugout pits, 30 boats, and 49 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 66 cooking ovens, four drums, five speedboats, 15 vehicles, two tricycles, one generator, 11 mobile phones, and 57 illegal refining sites.”
He claimed that throughout separate operations, the military found 128 different weapons and 3,300 different pieces of ammunition.
“The breakdown is as follows: one PKT gun, 80 AK-47 rifles, 15 locally fabricated guns, 15 Dane guns, two FN rifles, five pump-action guns, two single-barrel guns, four locally fabricated pistols, one fabricated barretta pistol, one locally made double-barrel gun, two hand grenades, two primed IEDs, and materials,” Buba said.
Speaking on the planned attack on critical infrastructure, the DHQ spokesman said, “We are aware of some of the plans to target some critical infrastructure in the country.
“Accordingly, we have implemented measures to forestall such plans. Security agencies responsible for securing critical infrastructure and facilities have also been placed on alert. Accordingly, some of such plans have been frustrated.”
He advised the citizens not to compromise on security to have a safe and secure environment.
Buba said, “In this fight, citizens must understand that we must never compromise on security; otherwise, everyone’s security will be compromised. This is a situation that cannot be overemphasised for us to live in safety and security.
“These terrorists are the enemy that must be fought and defeated. They are responsible for keeping the nation in an almost constant state of counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency.”
