By EZEKIEL OBI Abuja-
Troops of Operation Delta Safe have arrested 42 suspected oil thieves and recovered significant quantities of stolen crude oil and illegally refined products in a week-long operation across the Niger Delta.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, announced during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Maj. Gen. Kangye said the operation yielded 201,345 litres of stolen crude oil, 29,730 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 1,759 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
He said the troops also uncovered and destroyed 18 crude oil cooking ovens, 32 dugout pits, 16 boats, 21 storage tanks, 17 drums, and 19 illegal refining sites.
Additional items seized included pumping machines, drilling machines, tricycles, motorcycles, mobile phones, 13 vehicles, assorted arms, ammunition, and explosives, Kangye disclosed.
Among the notable arrests was Prince Johnson Ishirim, alias Commander Junior, a notorious cult leader, apprehended alongside 13 other suspected criminals and kidnappers in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, as well as Oshimiri, Warri South, and Ukwani Local Government Areas of Delta State. Weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and motorcycles were recovered from the suspects.
On July 10, troops raided a criminals’ hideout in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, apprehending 28 oil thieves and drug dealers, Kangye added.
The operation underscores the military’s ongoing efforts to curb oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta, ensuring the protection of Nigeria’s economic resources.
