The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, on Wednesday destroyed a 3 million-litre capacity illegal refinery, with six refining camps in Cawthorne channel, Rivers State.
The illegal refinery camps are located within Cawthorne channel 2 in Degema LGA of Rivers State where oil thieves steal crude oil from a wellhead in OML18 operated by NNPC Ltd and Sahara Energy.
The oil thieves were said to have installed a six inch pipeline running over 2km from the wellhead to the reservoir, which distributes crude to the six illegal refining camps.
The Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, who conducted newsmen around the illegal refinery, said the refinery operators were not only sabotaging the nation’s economy but destroying the environment.
He said, “Here is NNPCL OML 18 oil well head that is being tapped with a 6 inches hose connected to the wellhead by oil thieves. The hose runs for about 2 kilometres from the wellhead to their reservoir and thereafter channeled it to their cooking pots. This is a clear case of economic sabotage.
“My men, the Tactical Assault Squadron of Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder on our patrol in the creeks discovered the site on Tuesday and we are here to ensure that this does not continue anymore.
“Also, this is in compliance and pursuit of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, Emmanuel Ogalla, directives to his field Commanders, that we must ensure that the issue of oil theft in Niger Delta becomes history and eradicated at least to the barest minimum.
“The capacity of the bunkering sites runs into 3 millions of litres if not more.”
The NNS Pathfinder commander also said modalities were on to engage community stakeholders on a dialogue against oil theft.
“We are engaging the community stakeholders to talk to their youth from engaging in oil theft. When I resumed command, all the community leaders, paramount rulers, have been visited and I have also told them to call their youths to order because the oil thieves can not do this without the connivance of the youths. We have told them to refrain from that and look for alternative ways to earn a living.
“We are yet to make any arrest because the place is an open place, so the hoodlums fled on siting us, but we are going to trace them and trace those who are sponsoring them because they cannot come here without having big people behind them to sponsor them. We will put down our intelligences in action and make such we trace their sponsors.
“This is not the best way to earn a living. There are so many ways to earn a living instead of damaging the environment and also they are depriving the Federal Government of the needed revenue,” he said.
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