Soldiers of the 144 Battalion, Abia State have destroyed illegal crude oil reservoirs in a swamp located at Umuelechi village in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.
247ureports.com gathered that the reservoirs are estimated to have the capacity to contain over 10, 000 liters of crude oil drawn from a crude oil pipeline that passes through Umuelechi village from the Isimiri area to Imo River.
The area has been a fertile terrain for pipeline vandalism and illegal crude oil bunkering business.
The destruction exercise led by Capt. Sampson Ademola saw the demolition of some of the materials suspected to be used by the vandals in the illicit business.
The soldiers who stormed the community on a tip off also destroyed some equipment which the operators use in drawing crude from the pipeline, ease of movement and loading into waiting trucks within the swampy terrain.
It was also gathered that the operators of the illegal business, after drawing the crude oil from the pipeline, store and sell it, even to retail buyers.
Briefing journalists at the Battalion, the Commanding Officer, 144 Battalion, Asa, Lt. Col. Kasim Umar Sidi lamented that the illegal activities of the vandals in the area may have gone on for a very long time due to lack of information to the security agencies.
He described pipeline vandalism as a great economic sabotage to the nation’s economy.
According to him, from the look of things at the scene, it shows that the activities of the vandals could have existed for over a period of time unnoticed until information over their ungodly act got to us (soldiers).
He disclosed that the Army has spread its drag and will collaborate with sister agencies to ensure the arrest of the vandals and warned those behind the act to desist and engage in legitimate business or face the consequences of their actions.
