Esther Oseyiomon
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its operations against crude oil theft and illegal economic activities in the Niger Delta, arresting 37 suspected illegal miners and dismantling an illegal refining site in separate operations in Rivers State and Bayelsa State.
The Navy said the operations were carried out under Operation Delta Sentinel as part of ongoing efforts to curb crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage in the region.
Spokesperson of the Navy, Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
He said personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder discovered and dismantled an illegal oil refining site during an anti-crude oil theft patrol around the Ojekiri area in Rivers State.
According to him, the patrol team located the illegal refinery along the Alakiri River where about 10 dugout pits containing roughly 45,000 litres of stolen crude oil were found.
Folorunsho explained that the illegal refining site and the recovered crude oil were destroyed in line with operational procedures, while the suspected perpetrators fled on sighting naval personnel.
In a related operation, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh arrested 37 suspected illegal miners at Anyama Jetty in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The suspects were apprehended while attempting to transfer black sand from a wooden boat into two trucks at the jetty, after which they were handed over to Operation Doo-Akpo for further investigation.