Photo: OPDS Commander Rear Admiral John Okeke
The Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), has on Wednesday uncovered two vast oil bunkering sites in Samkiri community, a small settlement located in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The OPDS Commander Rear Admiral John Okeke, who was represented by the Maritime Component Commander, Commodore Adedokun Siyabade during a tour at the busted sites revealed that over 30 illegal refining camps operating in the area were destroyed.
The JTF Commander said the JTF South South Operation Delta Safe vowed to sustain its onslaught against oil bunkering and to rid the area of crude oil theft and other crimes in the area.
According to him, the JTF would continue to mount pressure on vandals and oil thieves operating in different parts of the country.
“You will recall that barely two to three weeks ago some illegally refinery sites were destroyed in Ataba close to Bonny, so the operation continues.
“So, here we are today in Samkiri village around Hawthorne channel 1, where we have so many illegally refining sites behind a village.
“We have about 10 boiling points there, here on the other side we have more than 20, as you can see.
“So, the JTF is not relenting in its efforts to rid this environment of crude oil theft and associated crimes and as we have always been saying.
“We are not going to give room for people that are bent on impinging the country’s source of income, that is why we are here today,” he said.
Okeke, stated that the recent feat was achieved by joint efforts of the Nigerian Navy, Army, Air force and other paramilitary organizations.
“If you can observe, one of the wellheads is still pumping out crude into a dug out pit that have been done by the perpetrators of the act.
“I want to bring it to further this operation was conducted by personnel from JTF was conducted by personnel from JTF, Nigerian Navy, Army, Air force, and all our operating paramilitary organisation working with the OPDS joint operation that is mounted to rid this environment of crude oil theft and also cooking of this crude to make adulterated AGO (Automotive Gas Oil).”
Okeke emphasised that he would ensure that illegal oil bunkering is brought to the bearest minimum, stressing that he would continue to make the environment uncomfortable for all troublemakers.
He urged those involved to look for other genuine businesses to engage in as anyone caught would face the full weight of the law.
