Officers of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) has destroyed more than 260 illegal oil refineries in the creeks of Warri South council area in Delta state.
Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Musa Gemu, disclosed these to journalists after a show-of-force exercise through many parts of the riverine Warri.
Speaking on the operation that destroyed the illegal refineries and stolen crude oil in Otegbene-Agbara community, Bennet Island and Jones Creek, all in Warri South council area, Gemu said the places touched were new hideouts for oil thieves.
According to the Naval Chief, the renewed commitment of the navy to combating illicit oil deal was in line with the zero tolerance of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin on illegal bunkering along the waterways.
Gemu said that since those behind the dastardly act of sabotage have resolved not to stop, the navy has intensified its surveillance operations and destruction exercise along these creeks.
While lamenting the unrelenting persistence oil thieves, the Navy commander said their activities were not just impacting on the economy and the environment but on the lives of residents in the riverine communities.
“We (Navy) are particularly concerned that in spite of what the federal government, NNPC, NDDC, and DESOPADEC had done and still doing to alleviate the poverty in this region through youth empowerments, job creation and educational up-liftment, some people are just not satisfied.
“They take to criminal activities as if it’s a way of life and that’s the more reason they indulge themselves in all sorts of criminalities along the creeks”, he stated.
