Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, arrested six suspects
during a clearance operation on an illegal oil bunkering site at Umuedeokwara
Community, Odogwa Town in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations,
Danjuma Jonah, disclosed this in a statement and photos shared on the official
X handle of the Nigerian Army on Thursday.
According to the statement, the "carefully concealed
illegal oil bunkering site" was raided following credible intelligence on
the activities of criminals in the site.
The statement read that the General Officer Commanding, 6
Division, Nigerian Army/ Land Component Commander, Joint Task Force, Operation
DELTA SAFE, Major General Jamal Abdusalam visited the location to see for
himself the magnitude of the criminalities going on in the area.
The GOC while speaking to newsmen at the site, was said to be
amazed by the level of criminality at the site.
He said, "We are here to let Nigerians know what is
happening here. In fact, even if you use the air, using a helicopter or drone,
you won't be able to see what we saw on the ground.
"We have discovered so many illegalities taking place
here. We have seen reservoirs, and boilers with a network of pipes and cables,
amongst others. The crude oil discovered in the site was unprecedented."
In the statement, Abdulsalam, while lamenting the level at
which individuals get involved in crimes that have huge implications for the
national economy, affirmed that a total of 19 reservoirs, with each containing
a minimum of 200,000 liters of crude, translating to over 3,000,000 liters were
discovered.
The statement further read, "The operation led to the
arrest of six suspects in the site. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other
people involved in this mindless criminality. The GOC said the site will be
destroyed in collaboration with relevant agencies.
"The Division, he said, will ensure that the Federal
Government gets what is due to it to take care of the citizens. He reiterated
that the budget of the nation is dependent on many factors, including crude oil
production. Hence, any drop in production affects the economy of the nation."
In September 2023, the 29 Battalion Nigerian Army and the 6
Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, arrested 10 suspects involved in
illegal oil bunkering and vandalism in the Okrika Local Government Area of
state and handed them to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for
further investigation
