The Nigerian Navy has disclosed that its anti-crude oil theft operations of the Nigerian Navy have yield more positive results.
It said patrol team deployed by NNS DELTA, naval base in Warri raided an illegal refinery at Asiagbene community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State and that four large GP tanks laden with about 10,000 liters each of product suspected to be illegally refined AGO was destroyed.
A statement from Naval headquarters on Thursday said, “Also the patrol team on 21 July 2016 located and destroyed 2 illegal refineries with 3 Cotonou boats containing approximately 350MT of illegally refined AGO at Asosolo and Ugbosede in Warri South West LGA.
“During the raid, 2 persons were arrested while the following items were recovered; 5 speed boats, 20 drums of illegally refined AGO, 5 drums of illegally refined DPK, 1 pumping machine, 1 generator and 1 x 90HP outboard engine. The suspects are undergoing further investigation.
“Additionally, patrol team deployed by NNS PATHFINDER in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has raided and destroyed 2 active illegal refinery sites around Ogu Bolo in Rivers State. During the raid, 6 Storage tanks each containing 60,000 liters of suspected stolen crude and 2 speed boats carrying 15 drums each of illegally refined AGO were destroyed.
“The patrol team also destroyed a barge laden with about 120,000 liters of suspected illegally refined AGO.
“Finally, the upsurge in criminal activities via the numerous waterways in the hinterland is often tagged as being perpetrated by militants with an accompanying call on the Navy to act.
“The Nigerian Navy however wishes to state that while it identifies with the concerns of the citizens in the affected areas, the Navy’s statutory mandate does not cover most of these areas and that there is a need to treat each incident on a case by case bases using the Nigeria Police and other security agencies as the driving force to secure life’s and property within the hinterland.”
Also, the Navy said the purported online reports threatening the sack of the Chief of Naval staff for rejecting a list of persons for enrolment into the force from the Director General of the Department of State Security was false and should be disregarded.
A statement from Naval headquarters signed by Commodore Christian Ezekobe, Director of Naval Information said, “The attention of the Naval Headquarters has been drawn to a news report titled “Chief of the Naval Staff faces sack for rejecting illegal recruitment list from Mamman Daura.
“The report was published on Tuesday 26 July 2016 by an online medium going by the name vaxity.com.
“After a thorough scrutiny of the publication, it was evident that this is one of the many attempts to disparage and scandalise the current efforts of the Federal Government to eliminate all forms of corrupt tendencies in our national life.
“The Naval Headquarters therefore wishes to reiterate that the news report is false, mischievous, malicious and is intended by its sponsors to create disaffection among the citizens as regards the conduct of the Nigerian Navy Recruitment Exercise.
“Members of the public are hereby advised to disregard this report.”
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