By Olayemi Esan
The military on Thursday said the troops of Operation Delta Safe on maritime patrol have intercepted a vessel identified as ‘MT AKEMIJOE BUNKER ONE’ without a Maritime Mobile Service Identity or NIMASA document in the south of Bartholomeo River.
The vessel which was laden with 150,000 litres of AGO was arrested and handled appropriately.
Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig. Gen. Benard Onyeuko made this known during a press briefing with Defence Correspondents at the on Thursday in Abuja.
Onyeuko explained that the troops have continued to sustain the pace in its anti-illegal oil operations to forestall economic saboteurs in the South-South Zone.
Additionally, the DMO spokesperson said troops also arrested six militants and recovered four locally-made pistols, 22 cartridges and 13 wraps of cannabis sativa among other items at Government Jetty in Creek town, Rivers State.
He added that some illegally connected pipelines were discovered and deactivated by troops as well as other illegal bunkering materials at Rumuekpe community as well as Ihuowo – Okoma Pipeline Right of Way in Abua/Odua LGA of Rivers State.
"Troops recorded successes at Saghara Creek in Warri South West LGA and Yokri-Ebge Seashore in Burutu LGA", he said.
Onyeuko also listed successes recorded by troops at Saghara Creek in Warri South West LGA and Yokri-Ebge Seashore in Burutu LGA.
He stated that in the course of operations, troops discovered and deactivated a total of 69 illegal refining sites. The sites cumulatively had a total of 79 ovens, 77 cooking pots/boilers and 76 cooling systems, 48 large dugout pits and 246 storage tanks as well as drums and sacks. These were cumulatively laden with two million, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand litres of illegally refined AGO as well as 1,300 tons and four million, five hundred and thirty-eight thousand litres of stolen crude oil.
The Armed Forces and other security agencies pledged not to rest on their oars in the fight against criminalities in all parts of the country.
