Navy destroys illegally refined fuel, vessels in Warri

The Nigerian Navy, on Tuesday, in Warri, Delta State, destroyed illegally refined petroleum products worth millions of naira and boats, popularly known as Cotonou vessels, seized from oil thieves.
Also, the Joint Task Force, JTF, on Tuesday, set ablaze a fuel tanker, said to have been used for crude oil theft on Ekiugbo-Ihwremaro Road, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking to reporters on the crack-down against oil bunkerers, Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sidi Usman, vowed to stamp out all forms of illegalities being perpetrated in the creeks and waterways.
According to Admiral Sidi, who was in company of the Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Mohammed Garba and other Officers of the Base, the navy would spare no effort in dealing with bunkerers.

He said: “We will continue to raid areas where illegalities are being practised. The evil doers are no friends of the country as their nefarious activities are aimed at destroying the nation’s economy.”
Usman who personally led the team, expressed satisfaction with the mass destruction of large quantities of fuel dumps at Opumani and the arrest of a suspect, whose name was given as Samson Oghenero.
Meanwhile in Ughelli, the fuel tanker was set ablaze close to a pipeline in the area by soldiers, who raided the area at 8.30am.
It was gathered that the fully loaded tanker had sank as it was being driven out of the swampy road in the early hours of Tuesday and efforts to tow it with another tanker was fruitless.
Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion, Lt. Col. Victor Ibeh, while briefing newsmen on the operation, said the security operatives swung into action after they got a tip-off from the community that a tanker was being used to scoop crude oil from the pipeline.
Ibeh said those involved in the oil theft had fled the area before the security men’s arrival, adding that nobody had shown up to claim ownership of the tanker.