Officers and men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder have uncovered a private residence converted into an illegal refining site in the Okwuzi community, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Leading the military team on a tour of the illegal refining site, Commodore Desmond Igbo, the commander of NNS Pathfinder, informed journalists on Friday that over 200,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, were confiscated.
Two suspects were arrested during the operation.
Commodore Igbo stated that the discovery was made in line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s mandate to combat crude oil theft and related vices in the Niger Delta region.
He emphasized that the operation was the result of concerted intelligence efforts.
“The volume of illegally refined products at the site is massive,” Commodore Igbo noted.
“Some were bagged in sacks, some stored in drums, and over 62 tanks were filled with the illegal products refined from crude oil siphoned or stolen from pipelines.”
He confirmed that over 200,000 litres of these illegal products were found at the site.
The suspects will be handed over to prosecuting agencies, and the compound will be sealed.
Commodore Igbo also advised youths in the region not to allow themselves to be used as tools to sabotage the nation’s economy, urging them to steer clear of illegal activities that harm the country’s resources.
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