A man works at an illegal oil refinery site near river Nun in Nigeria's oil state of Bayelsa November 27, 2012. Thousands of people in Nigeria engage in a practice known locally as 'oil bunkering' - hacking into pipelines to steal crude then refining it or selling it abroad. The practice, which leaves oil spewing from pipelines for miles around, managed to lift around a fifth of Nigeria's two million barrel a day production last year according to the finance ministry. Picture taken November 27, 2012. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye (NIGERIA - Tags: BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY INDUSTRIAL ENERGY) ATTENTION EDITORS - PICTURE 23OF 28 FOR PACKAGE 'NIGERIA'S ILLEGAL OIL BUNKERERS'. SEARCH 'OIL BUNKERING' FOR ALL IMAGES - RTR3CGYO

The Nigeria Army on Wednesday, confirmed its cracked down on illegal refineries in Imo and Delta, with seizure of several litres of illegally refined Petroleum products.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, made the confirmation in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Nwachukwu said the Troops of 343 Artillery Regiment, on Monday, cracked down on an oil thieves’ camp in Obokofia Community in Imo while conducting anti-oil theft operations.

According to him, the vigilant troops intercepted 15 sacks and 13 Jerry cans of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) concealed in the camp.

He added that the troops also recovered two pumping machines, three power generators, one hose and a tool box used for hacking into oil pipelines.

Nwachukwu said the troops, while acting on credible information, on Tuesday, intercepted a wooden boat loaded with 110 sacks of illegally refined AGO concealed in the creeks of Egbema West in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area( LGA) of Imo.

“The vigilant troops equally intercepted two vehicles loaded with 18 sacks of illegally refined AGO within the same general area.

“Members of the public are please implored to report any suspected act of sabotage or criminality to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations to curb economic sabotage in the country,” he said.

According to him, “Troops of 3 Battalion also on Monday, clamped down on an active illegal oil refining site containing three cooking ovens and six reservoirs at Enokora Community in Burutu LGA of Delta.”
NAN