Operation Delta Sanity of Nigeria Navy have recovered a total of 8,764,080 litres of stolen crude oil and other products worth N7.4bn in operations conducted between February 19 and 28, 2024.
These various operations were conducted in Brass River, Akassa, Lagosgbene, Tebidaba, and Oyeregbene in Bayelsa; Abuloma, Abonnema, Woji, and Taraba jetty in Borikiri, Rivers State; Uyenghe in Ibaka area of Cross River State; Agadagba in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State and Agbojeto Akorin in Lagos.
A statement released on Wednesday by the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, says two reservoirs, eight wooden boats, and one fibre boat were impounded during the operations.
The statement: “In summary, three IRS, 15 ovens, two reservoirs, eight wooden boats, and one fiber boat were appropriately handled during the period under review.
“Additionally, oil thieves were denied about 55,120 bbls (8,764,080 litres) of product suspected to be stolen crude oil, 141,200 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, and 9,000 litres of illegally siphoned Premium Motor Spirit amounting to the sum of N7.4bn only.”
Ayo-Vaughan says that one boat from Cameroon was arrested in Cross River state among the wooden boats impounded.
“On 22 February 2024, the Forward Operating Base IBAKA patrol team intercepted a large wooden boat from the Republic of Cameroon around Uyenghe in the Ibaka area, Cross River State.
“The boat was laden with about 5,100 liters of product suspected to be illegally siphoned Premium Motor Spirit concealed under other utility items. Accordingly, two suspects and cargo onboard were handed over to the NSCDC for further investigation and prosecution.”
“When the figures of the week under focus are compared with those of the previous week, there is an increase in the number of ovens, wooden boats, vehicles, and speed boats while a decrease in Illegal Refining Sites (IRS) and reservoirs.
“However, the number of dugout pits deactivated remains the same. Also, the week under focus witnessed an increase in the quantity of crude oil, Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) denied oil thieves during the period in focus. This gives credence to the effectiveness of Nigerian Navy anti-crude Oil Theft operations,” he added.
The Nigerian Navy’s operatives across the country recovered 803, 353.20 barrels of crude oil valued at N105bn in 2023.
A total of 703 illegal refining sites, 690 Cotonou boats laden with stolen crude, and 116 speed boats were destroyed by operatives of the service in the same year
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