Maroc - SPYETV.COM.NG - A La Une - 11/Aug 14:50

Air Power Targets Illegal Refining: 13 Sites, 10 Tanks, and Tipper Truck Eliminated Near Obuzor and Okoloma

The troops of Air Component of Operation Delta Safe in their effectiveness of the air strikes in the Niger Delta region destroyed 13 illegal sites, 10 overhead tanks and several gallons of illegally refined products.Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet disclosed in a press statement on Sunday that several overhead tanks connected to reservoirs as well as numerous gallons were also destroyed in the process. Even as efforts have been ramped up to curtail the activities of oil thieves and economic saboteurs in their illegal and nefarious acts of bursting oil pipelines and siphoning crude oil or its products, the rate at which illegal oil refining sites continue to spring up require drastic measures. In line with this, the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe has increased its rate of patrol, especially within the Niger Delta region, with the aim of locating illegal oil refining sites and destroying them. In arguably one of its most successful operations conducted along the Imo River near Obuzor and Okoloma, several active illegal refining sites were discovered to be taking advantage of the difficult terrain to perpetrate their illegalities. These sites, about 13 in number, were subsequently destroyed after the crew employed the weapons on board the aircraft. Several overhead tanks connected to reservoirs as well as numerous gallons were also destroyed in the process. In all 13 illegal sites, 10 overhead tanks and several gallons of illegally refined products were effectively destroyed.Same day, while the crew extended their patrol down stream, they spotted a 6-tyre tipper truck along the riverbank with 4 canoes seen loading illegal products into the truck. After a thorough scan of the area and observing the criminals dispersed in disarray upon siting the aircraft, the truck as well as the canoes, were attacked and destroyed. The crew then continued their patrol over the Trans Niger Pipeline from Rumuekpe-Nkpoku to Bonny, which included the following points: End Point, Bodo trunk line, Point, Small line attachment, Nkpoku-New Ebubu Trunkline and Rumuekpe-Nkpoku line with no unusual activity observed. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has since commended the Air Component for their commitment and resolve to diminish the activities of oil thieves in the Niger Delta Region. It would be recall that, President Bola Tinubu has given marching orders to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to curb oil theft and vandalism in the Niger Delta region within the shortest possible time. The President had given the NNPC, security agencies a mandate to ensure that they secure the entire South-South and to enable NNPC and others to carry out their tasks so that they can improved production.www.twitter.com/spyetv