The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that Troops of Joint Task Force Operation DELTA SAFE Theatre have recovered 7,805 barrels of stolen crude worth N537,090,102.12 from economic saboteurs in two weeks operations.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami, disclosed this during the biweekly update on military operations between September 8 to 22, 2022.
He said the military will continue to sustain offensive actions against oil thieves and economic saboteurs through its kinetic operations towards denying the criminal elements freedom of action to create a conducive environment for economic activities in the Joint Operation Area to thrive.
Accordingly, he said troops of Operation DELTA SAFE conducted patrol, raids, clearance and swamp buggy operations in the creeks, villages, communities and towns in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States.
In a breakdown, he said troops of Operation DELTA SAFE discovered and destroyed several illegal refining sites, 17 wooden boats, 103 storage tanks, 94 ovens and 58 dugout pits being used by the crude oil thieves.
He said the troops recovered 10 trucks, one generator, one tanker, two vehicles, eight pumping machines, 7,805 barrels of crude oil 2,613 barrels of Automotive Gas Oil and arrested 17 pipeline vandals.
He said a total of N134,670,255.72 of Automotive Gas Oil and N402,419,846.04 were denied the oil thieves.
"Accordingly, a total approximated value of product denied oil thieves within the period under review was Five Hundred and Thirty Seven Million Ninety Thousand One Hundred and Two Naira (N537,090,102.12)," he explained.
In a related development, troops arrested four suspected armed robbers during a raid at Okpokumu community in Burutu local government area of Delta State and Iduodah community in Ahoada West local government area of Rivers State.
The troops recovered two G3 rifles, one locally made pump action gun, one locally made pistol, three G3 magazine, three AK47 magazines, 280 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 780 rounds of 7.62mm special, MMG metal links, and two boafeng radios.
Other items recovered include; five pairs of military camouflages, six pairs of desert boots, some Nigerian currency notes and large quantities of items suspected to be hard drugs.
In the South-West, troops of Operation AWATSE arrested two child trafficking criminals with two passenger boats loaded with 13 teenage girls suspected to be victims of child trafficking around Akarakumo waterways in Badagry local government area of Lagos State.
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"Cumulatively, within the weeks in focus, troops recovered 1,953 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 212 jerrycans of 30 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2 vehicles, 2 wooden boats and 1 motorcycle as well as arrested 3 suspected smugglers. Furthermore, operatives of the Nigerian Custom Services along Ijebu Ode-Ibadan road in Ijebu Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State, intercepted a truck containing 20 drums of calcium carbide and 41 pairs of military camouflage.
"All recovered items were handed over to the Nigerian Custom Services while the arrested 2 passenger boats with the 13 teenage girls and the 2 suspected traffickers were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further action," he added.
Meanwhile, in the South-East, troops
in joint operation with the Nigerian Police and operatives of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) neutralised two criminals and recovered four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), four locally fabricated RPGs, one pump action rifle, five dane guns, one short gun, one pistol, 34 rounds of 7.62mm special, five vehicles, and seven motorcycles, among others.
The troops also recovered four IEDs, four locally fabricated RPGs, 1 pump action rifle, four pistols, four AK47 rifles, 10 motorcycles, 50 rounds of 7.62mm special and seven dane guns, among others.
He added that troops also arrested five suspected criminals and neutralised four, saying all recovered items, and arrested criminals were handed over to the relevant authorities for further action.
