The Nigerian Navy said its operatives have busted an illegal oil refining site filled with 750, 000 litres of illegally refined Automated Gas Oil also known as diesel in Abonema Wharf on Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Navy said the discovery was made during a raid of the area in the heart of Port Harcourt by officers and operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder, led by the Commander, Commodore Desmond Igbo on Tuesday.
The Navy said the site was destroyed, while the diesel was seized following a tip-off.
He added that the operation was in continuation of the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla to end illegal oil bunkering activities and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and other parts of the nation it swang into action.
Igbo, who described illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft as an act of economic sabotage, said he and his team are fully determined to end the menace in their area of operation.
“This is another illegal oil bunkering site in Port Harcourt. As you can see, we have lots of drums fully loaded with illegally refined products.
“We also have some loaded in the bags. Here, we have not less than Seven hundred and fifty thousand litres of AGO stolen by criminals stocked here.
“Last time, we were at the creeks, but these oil thieves have devised a new means to even come to the town. This is Abonema Wharf, a community right inside the city of Port Harcourt, the state capital.”
The Commander, NNS Pathfinder, further said the illegal refining site poses a great danger to residents and those doing business in the area.
“Apart from being saboteurs of the nation’s economy by stealing this oil, it is also an act of environmental degradation.
“They also constitute a danger to the citizens and properties of people around here because, if there is any form of fire outbreak, it will burn down the entire community. We will not allow this to continue.
“The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogala has given us this mandate to go to the creeks, the water and the land to make sure that crude oil theft in Niger Delta is put to an end.
“We will not relent and we won’t be deterred even with all forms of sabotage and blackmails, we will continue to do the right thing both day and night to ensure this act of economic sabotage stops,” Igbo added.
He, therefore, advised all those involved in the illicit activities to refrain and engage in legal business to earn a decent living.
Igbo noted that the confiscated products would be handed over to the appropriate authority for further investigation and follow-up action.
The state continues to be a hotspot for illegal oil mining, despite security agencies’ efforts to stop it.
In October 2023, the NSCDC apprehended 34 individuals for engaging in unauthorised mining activities in the Rumuokarali/Rumualogu community of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in the state.
