By Philip Ezuma, Port Harcourt
Nigerian Army, 6 Division in Port Harcourt has taken over a massive illegal refinery camp with five million litres of stolen crude oil and 15 boilers, nine storage tanks, newly acquired pipes, makeshift houses and other expensive facilities worth millions of naira.
The troops of the division raided the camp located along the Mirinwanyi channel of the Imo River at the Komkom area of Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state with about five million litres of crude oil already been stolen to be refined in the camp before the troops raided the area.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Major General Jamal Abdussalam alongside some officers of the division while on the creek to assess the camp said the division would not relent in its determination to destroy all illegal refineries and illegal connections in its area of responsibility.
Abdusalam said: “This is in continuation of our operations to destroy all illegal refineries, illegal connections in our area of responsibility. Based on credible intelligence, this morning, our troops raided this location.
“We have discovered over 15 boilers and about nine reservoirs. From our estimation, the crude oil that had been stolen and reserved here for processing is over N5million litres.
“On our way, we saw large Cotonou boats capable of taking 200 litres. We saw more than five on our way filled with crude oil. It is indeed very sad that this activities continued. We will not get tired. We will continue with our job”.
He said though the operators fled the area, adding that division was following some leads to arrest the real culprits behind the sabotage and called on those responsible for such act to embrace legitimate businesses.
He said: “No arrest has been made. I said it before that most of those arrested were labourers working on the site. We have not been able to get real culprits. We can see the facilities here. It is not something that ordinary persons can set up. It needs money, expertise and careful planning.
