The troop of 4 Brigade Nigerian Army have destroyed one truck load of 13,000 liters of stolen crude oil, in addition to a tank-load of 33,000 liters of illegally refined AGO (Diesel).
The destruction was carried out Thursday in Benin, the Edo state capital.
Briefing the press at the end of the exercise, the spokesman 4 Brigade, Captain Abubakar Abdullahi said “in line with our desire to eradicate crude theft, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism, the troops of 4 Brigade/Sector 1 Operation Pula shield have continued to arrest perpetrators of the illicit business while destroying implements used to carry out the crime.
According to him, “this is just one out of several efforts we are making to eradicate this crime in our Area of Responsibility.”
He stated that in the last one month, the Sector conducted total of 592 anti-oil bunkering patrol and raids.
During such patrols, Abdullahi disclosed that “a total of 98 illegal refineries, 141 Cotonou-based boats, 15 Tanker trucks, 15 illegal fuel reservoir and 93 surface tanks, popularly called GEEPEE tanks, were destroyed.”
“Additionally 1709 drums of illegally refined product and 10 pumping machines were siezed and destroyed. Three weapons were apprehended in the process”.
He added that all the above efforts are continually made in order to eradicate the activities of oil thieves, bunkerers and pipeline vandals who pose as sobateurs to the Nigerian economy.
The spokesman further appealed to the general public to support the Army by providing to the troops, timely and accurate information on the activities of criminals and oil bunkering gangs.
