Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies have denied oil thieves in the South South Region the opportunity of smiling home with stolen petroleum products valued at a N713,699,600.00.
Director, Defence Military Operations (DMO), Major General Musa Danmadami, who made this known in Abuja on Thursday, added that 21 oil thieves and pipeline vandals were also apprehended during the operations carried out from 1 – 22 December 2022.
According to him, the recovery and destruction of the large quantity of illegal crude oil and other petroleum products and the number of arrested oil thieves and pipeline vandals, “shows the unrelenting efforts by the troops of Operation DELTA SAFE in denying them freedom of action.”
Major General Danmadami, who spoke during the bi-weekly media briefing on troops activities and operational successes being recorded in the various operational theaters within the 6 geo-political zones of the country, noted that the Land, Maritime and air components of operation DELTA SAFE had sustained offensive posture to deny criminals space to carry out their illegal operations in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers State respectively.
He said: “During the operations, several illegal refining sites, equipment and petroleum products were recovered and destroyed while some suspected oil thieves and pipeline vandals were also apprehended.
“Cumulatively, within the weeks in review, troops of operations DELTA SAFE in the conduct of Operation OCTOPUS GRIP discovered and destroyed 57 illegal refining sites, 953 cooking ovens, 68 wooden boats, 172 storage tanks and 149 dugout pits.
“Also recovered were 445,000 litres of crude oil, 1,043,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 22,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2,000 litres Dual Purpose Kerosine, 1 AK47 rifle, 8 tankers, 63 vehicles, 2 speed boat, 1 thug boat, 14 motorcycles, 1 tricycle, 3 bicycles, 11 pumping machines and 3 outboard engines.”
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Giving account of military operations in the North-East zone of the country, Danmadami said that cumulatively, within the weeks in focus, troops recovered 20 AK47 rifles, 2 G3 rifles, 5 FN rifles, 2 QJC guns, 1 gun truck, 2,411 rounds of 7.62mm special, 143 belted rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 1 barreta pistol, 26 AK47 magazines, 4 bandoliers, 4 x 36 hand grenades, 1 x 42 hand grenade, 1 RPG tube, 1 HEAP bomb, 1 HEAT bomb, 1 mortar tube, 2 mortar tripod stands and a 60mm mortar bomb.
He listed other items recovered as 33 motorcycles, 33 bicycles, medical suppliers, 50 pieces of males and females fabrics, bags of grains, jerrycans of groundnut oil, cartons of detergents, the sum of N291,060.00 and other sundry items.
“Equally, troops neutralized 103 terrorists, apprehended 4 terrorists commanders, arrested 12 Boko Haram Terrorists logistics suppliers and 2 terrorist collaborators as well as 4 terrorists spies,” he said.
In addition, 30 abducted civilians were also rescued while a total of 423 Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and members of their families comprises, of 41 adult males, 126 adult females and 222 children surrendered to own troops at different locations within the theatre, he said.
In the North-West zone, he said the Nigerian troops recovered 7 AK47 rifles, 1 baretta pistol, 1 locally made rifle, 3 locally made pistol, 4 locally made guns, 3 dane guns, 4,308 rounds 7.62mm special, 7 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 11 rounds of 7.56mm ammunition and 5 cartridges. Also recovered are 55 motorcycles, 7 uncoupled motorcycles, 13 mobile phones and 820 rustled cattle as well as the sum of N2,302,195.00 while 27 terrorists were neutralized, 36 suspected terrorist arrested and 35 abducted civilians rescued.
According to the DMO Director, troops and other security agencies in the South East zone of the Country sustained the aggressive posture in the fight against the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network criminals aimed at restoring peace and normalcy to the region.
“Consequently, within the weeks in focus, troops recovered 5 AK47 rifles, 8 pump action guns, 3 locally made pistols, 3 dane guns, several locally fabricated hand grenades with leg cuffs and chains, 5 cartridges, petrol bombs, 3 smoke grenade launchers, some explosives, 5 rounds of 7.62mm special, 2 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5 pairs of woodland camouflage and 2 pair of desert camouflage. Other items recovered are 10 vehicles, 18 motorcycles, 13 generating sets, 4 gas cylinders, 8 mobile phones, television sets and other sundry items,” he disclosed.
“Troops equally neutralized 7 criminals, arrested 25 criminals and rescued 8 kidnapped civilians, he added.
This is just as the troops of joint border patrol in South West Zone of the Country sustained the onslaught against smugglers of contraband goods. Accordingly, operational activities were conducted in the jetties, villages, bush path, town and Local Government Areas in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States respectively.
“During the operation troops in conjunction with other security agents intercepted some contraband goods and arrested suspected criminal elements within the zone. Cumulatively, between 1 to 22 December 2022, troops of Operation AWATSE in the conduct of Operation SWIFT RESPONSE recovered 1,680 x 50kg bags of foreign rice, 997 jerrycans of 30 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 1 truck, 2 golf cars, bales of use clothing among other items, troops also arrested 2 criminal elements,” he said.
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