The Defence Headquarters has reported that Operation Delta Safe troops uncovered and dismantled 53 illegal refining sites, retrieved stolen products, and detained 19 suspected oil thieves within a week.
Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, shared this information during a press briefing on the operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria throughout the country in Abuja on Thursday.
Buba mentioned that the troops have been consistently countering crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region. Among their discoveries were 54 dugout pits, 66 boats, 138 storage tanks, 253 cooking ovens, two pumping machines, eight speedboats, 17 hoses, 18 drums, and two cylinders.
Furthermore, the troops recovered 983,350 liters of stolen crude oil, 144,980 liters of illegally refined AGO (Automotive Gas Oil), and 71,650 liters of DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene).
“Troops also neutralised one criminal, rescued three hostages and recovered one fabricated rifle, 18 vehicles and one torchlight,” he said.
In South East, Buba said the troops of Operation UDO KA conducted a snap operation and arrested suspected IPOB/ESN in Ikwo and Okigwe Local Government Areas of Ebonyi and Imo states during the week.
He said the troops neutralized five terrorists, arrested 12 suspected criminals, and rescued seven kidnapped hostages.
According to him: “Troops recovered two locally made guns, four rounds of 7.62 mm Special ammo, one FN rifle barrel, IED materials, 10 water gel explosives, three detonators, one detonating cord among others.
“All recovered items, arrested suspects and rescued hostages were handed over to the relevant authority for further action.”
The defence spokesman said the military had uncovered and neutralized some of the criminal `safe havens’ across various theatres of operation.
He revealed that criminals used national parks, game reserves, and forests across the country as their hideouts.
“The military has identified several of these `safe havens’ and operations are targeted towards ensuring that they are completely dismantled.
“Recently, one of such hideouts in the southeast was invaded by troops, and they found unspeakable and unprintable activities going on in the invaded camps.
“It goes to tell us that these extremists are cannibals, feasting on fellow human beings and conducting other forms of dastardly acts,” he said.
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