Men of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, FOB, Igbokoda in Ondo State, have destroyed 182,000 litres of crude oil in an illegal refinery in the coastal community of Biokpu/Opouama in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
No fewer than nine locally made ovens and four boats with over 60 legs of illegally refined petroleum products were found inside the illegal refinery during the coordinated surface and air assault with the Naval helicopter.
The Commanding Officer of the Base, Navy Captain Wasuku Alushi, who spoke in a statement, said the operation was in furtherance of the mandate of Operations Delta Sanity.
Captain Alushi disclosed that the destroyed refined product worth about N97m.
Alushi explained that Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command Rear Admiral Mustapha Bala Hassan, launched a special air operation that provided aerial intelligence on criminal hideouts and other hot spots in the area.
He said, “This need to involve the helicopters was informed by an earlier threat assessment of the environment.
“We assessed that we needed an additional layer of protection from the air as well as the need for precision in order to avoid collateral damage to nearby national assets.
“Although we have not been able to nab any suspect yet, because of the difficult nature of the terrain, most of them must have absconded during the time of the survey.
However, we are working closely with the community leaders and sister security agencies to gather information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
“We are sending a warning to the criminals that are involving themselves in this illegal refinery that they should desist because we will go after them,” he said.
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