An illegal oil refining site has been uncovered in the Ughelli South area of Delta State.
The illicit operations going on in the refinery was brought to the limelight by the troops of the Nigerian Army, personnel from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and private security outfit, Tantita.
Disclosing this on Sunday, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the security operatives carried out a sting operation on the site after an intelligence report.
Additionally, the senior officer said 35 Modular Ovens used for illegal refining of crude oil, 3 fabricated reservoirs, 30 dug-out reservoirs, and 75 galvanized pipes were discovered by the operatives.
Onyema said, “In a sustained effort to deny oil thieves freedom of action in South-South Nigeria and protect the Oil sector from economic sabotage, troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army operating in 6 Division Area of Responsibility, in conjunction with operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as operatives of Tantita Security, have uncovered a major illegal oil refining site at Owahwa community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
“The combined team of anti-oil theft troops discovered on Saturday, July 29, 2023, in a sting operation following a surveillance report on the illicit activities of illegal oil refiners in the area.
“The vigilant troops on storming the illegal refining site, discovered 35 Modular Ovens used for illegal refining of crude oil, 3 fabricated Reservoirs, 30 Dug out Reservoirs, and 75 Galvanized pipes.”
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He noted that the operatives had since clamped down on the illegal refining site.
Onyema enjoined the citizens to continue to support the ongoing anti-oil theft operations by reporting all suspected illicit oil refining and bunkering activities in their areas to the security agencies.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State sanitation officers have arrested no fewer than 64 people for committing environmental offences in the state.
The alleged culprits were arrested during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state on Saturday.
Speaking on the development on Saturday, the Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Sunday Akinwalire, who disclosed this in Akure, expressed displeasure over residents’ failure to comply with the state’s directive of no human and vehicular movement.
Akinwalire described the level of compliance of the people during the exercise as zero.
He said, “The team (of environmental officers) has visited severally to ensure the people embrace healthy living. The government is ready to ensure that all obey the law about 64 people were arrested.”
The commissioner stated that those arrested had appeared before the environmental court and had faced penalties. He appealed to residents of the state to do the needful in maintaining a clean environment to prevent environmental-related diseases.