By Ken Afor
The military Joint Task Force in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, codenamed “Operation Delta Safe (OPDS),” has busted 50 illegal refining sites located at Biseni forest in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The operation was spearheaded by Rear Admiral John Okeke, the Commander of OPDS.
According to Okeke, these sites were engaging in the illegal refining of stolen crude oil on a daily basis before the military operation disrupted their activities.
Speaking to journalists after the operation, Okeke revealed that one of the illegal refining sites contained a massive dugout open pit capable of accommodating more than 10 trucks of Alternative Gas Oil (AGO), which was being used to store crude oil before distribution to various cooking sites, as reported by Vanguard.
The commander stated that he had earlier issued a warning to oil thieves operating in the area, urging them to cease their illegal business or relocate elsewhere.
He said: “On May 9, 2024, we were at Ukwa West LGA, in Abua State bordering Rivers State, a contiguous forest bear a shared along Imo River.
“Today, like I said, we are not going to relent and it is work in progress. We will not get tired; we will continue. We are in Biseni in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa. We traversed from Ahoada West LGA of Rivers to reach this point. The most surprising thing is that this place we are now is housing over 50 cooking sites with unique arrangements.
“Why have the thieves operating in this area decided to be so smart by connecting what is called a theft line made of two-inch pipe, a galvanized pipe connecting directly to the supply oil line on the road, from a distance of one kilometer?
“Then they have a lot of funny connections where they have various arrangements of connection, multiple connections where each of the thieves gets their supply. From a large dugout open pit that can accommodate more than 10 trucks of AGO, holding crude oil from where they distribute to their cooking site.
“Look at the thick forest we are in now; you can never imagine that such a serious crime is going on here. If not for the good-spirited individuals that volunteer information, we wouldn’t have known,” he said.
It would be recalled that in April, during the inauguration ceremony for the New Headquarters Naval Training Command in Ebubu community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, expressed grave concerns over the issue of oil theft plaguing the nation.
In his address, Abbas lamented that Nigeria loses an estimated 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day due to oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other forms of criminal activities in the oil sector. He highlighted that this menace has culminated in staggering annual revenue losses amounting to a massive N1.29 trillion for the country.
