This occurred three days after the Nigerian Navy reported that its agents broke into an illicit oil refinery located at Abonema Wharf in the Port Harcourt region of the state.
The site held 750,000 liters of illicitly refined diesel, also known as automated gas oil.
Speaking to reporters soon after the operation on Friday, command of Brigadier General Eddie Effiong, Sector 3, stated that the discovery was the result of a tip-off and mentioned that each reservoir held roughly 100,000 liters of crude.
Before agents stormed the scene, according to Effiong, the perpetrators were attempting to refine the crude into Automated Gas Oil, or diesel.
He stated, “In continuation of the fight against crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering, we got a tip-off from our contacts that illegal oil refinery has commenced on the opposite side of this road after we destroyed them on the other side.
“The oil thieves have relocated here and then reestablished their illegal refineries and continue their illegal activities.
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“Coming here today, we found out that they have truly relocated to the right side and reestablished their illegal refining sites and they are still trying to establish more sites.
“In this reestablished illegal refining site, we have discovered eight reservoirs and five cooking pots. And from our gathering, the minimum quantity of crude in each reservoir is nothing less than 100,000 litres of stolen crude that is about to be refined into AGO.”
He assured that the division would not rest on its laurels until the fight against illegal oil bunkering and oil theft in the Niger Delta region is won.
He noted that the division would also deploy the non-kinetic approach such as dialogue in tackling illicit activities by appealing to the consciences of community heads and youth leaders through regular seminars, amongst others.
Brigadier General Effiong added, “We are also trying our best to discourage them through their village heads and youth leaders, talking to them.
“We all know what crude oil is to the Nigerian economy. Everyone in the country is feeling the impact of the economy presently, and the more they do this, it is also going to negatively impact all of us.”
He advised all those involved in sabotaging the nation within the state and other parts of the Niger Delta region to turn a new leaf and look for decent means of earning a living.
“Yes, things are hard but that shouldn’t push us into criminality, because our country is bleeding and if we keep doing this, we will keep bleeding the more and everybody will feel it,” he added.
