Navy shuts down eight illegal refineries in Ondo

Eight illegal refining plants in Awoye and Oge-bioku axis in the Ilaje council area of the state have been deactivated, while men from the Navy Forward Operating Base, FOB in the Igbokoda region of Ondo state, have obstructed the activities of illegal oil bunkering.

The exercise, according to Navy Captain Wasuku Alush, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, FOB, Igbokoda, was carried out in support of Operation Delta Sanity 2, which aims to stop criminal activity in the Niger Delta, particularly illicit buckering and the theft of crude oil.

Alushi, said during the exercise that “You will recall that on the 10th of January this year, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Okala flagged off Operation Delta Sanity with the overall objective of sanitizing the Niger Delta environment from the menace of crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other illegal related vices.

“Arising from the successes of Delta Sanity 1, Delta Sanity 2 was flagged-off on the 10th of April, 2024 and with similar mandate.

“What we did is still in furtherance of the mandate of operation Delta Sanity 2 which is to curb criminal activities which included crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other vices in the Niger Delta environment.

“We were able to storm into their camps which is the illegal refining site. Six were discovered around Awoye and another two around Oge-Bioku axis. In total, eight of those camps were deactivated today.

Alushi said that the modus operandi of the criminal elements has changed slightly from the previous operations.

“As you can see, they are moving deeper into the creeks, making it difficult for us to access those areas because they know that the boats have some constraints.

“Regardless of that, we also devised our own strategy, and that is why we are able to achieve this element of surprise.

“We have our own strategy which is either we get the criminal elements where they are siphoning the crude oil or we get them at the illegal refining site or when they are trying to transship the finished product.

“As a Base, we remain relentless in our pursuit of the mandate of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ogala until we free our Area of Operations from these criminal elements who are saboteurs to our common wealth.

“We will continue to work together with well-meaning partners, traditional rulers and all the good people of Ondo State who have been providing us with credible intelligence”

Alushi, further assured, that they will go all out to ensure that they curb this menace of crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in their area of operations.

He, however, told the criminal elements to desist and have a rethink.

According to him “we are going to deploy every available means within our limited resources to ensure that we get at them and ensure that they pay dearly for their crimes.