Troops arrest vandals, destroy 23 illegal refineries

The Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta has said its troops have arrested some suspected oil thieves and destroyed 23 illegal refineries in Bayelsa and Delta states.

The OPS made this known in a statement released by its coordinator, Joint Medica Campaign Center, Lt-Col Ado Isa.

The OPS, which has its headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,  said the troops achieved the feat during its operations last week.

Giving insight into the operations, Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Lt.-Col. Ado Isa, in a statement on Thursday, quoted the Commander, OPS, Major General Alani Okunlola, as  the anti-illegal oil bunkering squad of Sector 1 deployed in Adagbarasa community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State arrested four pipeline vandals.

Okunlola said that the suspects, who gave their names as Tahiru Mohammed, Mohammed Ibrahim, Asabe Lawal and Bashir Adamu were arrested on the act while breaking the pipeline.

He said that two trucks with registration numbers Kaduna KAF 626 XA and Kaduna MKA 542 XA found at the scene were also impounded.

Both the suspects and trucks are reportedly in custody of the OPS for preliminary investigation.

He said troops also conducted patrol along Obangos creek in Tibo Community, Warri North LGA of Delta State and destroyed six illegal oil bunkering sites where oil thieves operated with six tarpaulin tanks containing 50,000 litres, each of substances suspected to be crude oil and locally refined Automated Gas Oil, seven cooking pots, 21 drums and a hose measuring 600 metres.

He said the sites and items discovered were destroyed on location and that  no arrest was made during the operation as the suspects fled on sighting the troops.