Troops of Operation Delta Safe in the last two weeks apprehended 10 suspected pipeline vandals and two pirates in the Niger Delta region.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko made this known at a bi-weekly news briefing of the Defence Headquarters, on Thursday in Abuja.
Onyeuko gave the names of the suspected pirates as Fagha Golden (aka Fine Boy) and Victor Elkanah (aka Victor Padi).
He said Golde was apprehended at Nonwa village in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State while Elkanah was arrested at Pharzy Spring Diagnostic and Wellness Hospital in Onne Eleme Local Government Area of the state. He said the duo were notorious for a series of armed attacks on oil vessels, kidnapping of expatriates and illegal oil bunkering in Rivers.
He said the arrests “show the unrelenting efforts by the troops”.
“Troops have sustained offensive posture to deny criminals the much needed space for their illegal operation in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states. In the process, several illegal oil-refining sites were discovered and destroyed.
“These include 37 illegal refineries, 68 dugout pits, 188 storage tanks, 33 wooden boats, 16 pumping machines, one generator, one vehicle, 175 cooking ovens and 23 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Also, recovered was 3.7 million litres of crude oil and 2.01 million litres of AGO,” the Defence spokesman said.
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