In the Odagwa community within the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army has made a significant discovery. They have discovered a secret place where illegal refining activities take place, which houses about 14 reservoirs. The reservoirs hold a very large quantity of over 3 million litres of crude oil. The discovery took place on Wednesday during an operation led by Major General Jamal Abdussalam, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army/ Land Component Commander, Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation DELTA SAFE.
During an interaction with the press, the GOC revealed that the perpetrators behind the illicit reservoirs have approximately 49 crude oil boilers. These devices were utilised for refining crude oil, which was then distributed through various channels. Abdussalam emphasised the challenge of uncovering the extent of unlawful activities within the forest, asserting that even aerial means like helicopters or drones would struggle to detect such illegalities. He revealed that discreet intelligence played a crucial role in enabling the identification of more than 14 reservoirs, with each holding about over 200,000 liters of crude oil.
Many illicit activities are carried on in the area undetected.
Furthermore, in his statement, he emphasised the purpose of the initiative, aiming to provide comprehensive awareness about what is happening in Nigeria. The area is densely covered by large forests that hinder any attempts of accurate observation from above, whether by helicopter or drone. However, relying on trustworthy information that guided them to this spot, numerous illicit activities have been unveiled in the place they were looking into. In the bush, they came across many hidden tanks that were capable of storing more than 200,000 liters of raw material.
Within this forest, they made the intriguing finding, leading to several boilers, specifically designed for the refining of crude oil. Elaborate networks of pipes, cables, and various other tools intertwined throughout the entire area. Deepening the situation’s gravity, he expressed his shock, mentioning that the amount of crude found there surpasses Nigeria’s daily crude export, a woeful and disheartening reality. Within the vicinity of the bridge, there is an abundance of well heads, with a significant portion remaining idle.
Acts of economic sabotage will be tackled by the military.
These well heads in the bridge vicinity serve as the primary source from which the individuals known as bunkerers attach pipes and expertly extract the crude oil through siphoning techniques. As the federal government strives to receive its rightful dues, the GOC recently revealed that the discovery is an outcome of their exhaustive endeavours. Emphasising the passage of the budget by the esteemed National Assembly and the subsequent consent from Mr. President solidified it as a binding law.
He emphasised that the budget relies on specific criteria, and among them is the daily output of crude oil they generate. Thus, any decrease in this production will impact the entire nation. However, the populace remains clueless about this, leading them to participate in illicit and unpleasant undertakings. Speaking further, Abdussalam made a resolute commitment to continue the military’s battle against acts of economic sabotage, ensuring that those responsible for these unlawful actions would be diligently pursued.
Related Article: Federal set to end crude oil theft in Nigeria
On the other hand, there have only been a few arrests so far despite the effort put into this endeavour, and the individuals detained are merely workers, not pivotal figures in this operation. The important individuals responsible for this act affecting the country’s economy have managed to avoid capture; nevertheless, with accurate intelligence and thorough investigation, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) guaranteed that they would soon apprehend them, especially now that they have identified their whereabouts.
Related Link
NA: Website