The Nigerian Army has discovered 14 reservoirs containing about three million liters of stolen crude oil in Odagwa Etche, Rivers State.
The reservoirs, which were hidden in a thick forest, also had 49 boilers used for refining the crude oil into petroleum products.
The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Port Harcourt, Maj-Gen. Jamal Abdussalam, said the discovery was based on credible intelligence and that the illegal activities had been going on for a long time.
He said the suspects had tapped crude oil from abandoned wellheads in the area and constructed tanks and pipes to store and transport the oil.
A Huge Loss to the Nation
Abdussalam said the crude oil stored in the reservoirs was worth billions of naira and that the illegal refining had caused massive environmental degradation and loss of revenue to the government.
He said, “You can see that this place is in a deep forest. Even if you are using helicopters and military drones, you will not be able to see what we actually saw here on the ground. We have discovered many illegal activities. As you can see, we have seen reservoirs that can contain upwards of 200, 0000 litres of crude oil.
“We have discovered about 14 of them in this bush. We have also discovered boilers capable of processing crude oil about 49 of them all located inside this bush and we have seen the network of hoses and cables connected around the whole area.”
He added, “The crude oil we have discovered in this place is in excess of the daily crude oil export of Nigeria. This is very pathetic and very sad to note.
“Here, we discovered 14 reservoirs and each reservoir stored a minimum of 200,000 liters of crude oil. So simple math will give you in excess of three million liters of crude oil that is stored. We are not talking of the ones that have been processed and taken out; these are the ones that we have discovered.”
Few Arrests Made
Abdussalam said the army had arrested some of the suspects involved in the illegal oil business, but they were not the major players.
He said that the authorities have made few arrests, but those arrested are not the major players in this business; they are just carriers of the stolen oil.
Abdussalam said the army would continue to track down the masterminds and sponsors of the illicit trade and bring them to justice.
He also appealed to the public to provide useful information that would help the army to curb the menace of oil theft and vandalism in the Niger Delta region.
A Call for Environmental Protection
Abdussalam said the army was not only concerned about the security implications of the illegal oil activities, but also the environmental impact.
He said the army was collaborating with the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and other relevant agencies to ensure the cleanup and restoration of the affected areas.
He said, “Our concern is not only the security aspect of it, but also the environmental aspect of it. You can see the level of degradation that has taken place in this environment. This is not good for the health of the people living around here and also for the future generation.
“We are working with NOSDRA and other agencies to see how we can remediate this place and bring it back to its original state.”
He urged the communities to support the army and the government in the fight against oil theft and illegal refining, saying that it was in their best interest to protect their environment and natural resources.
The discovery of the crude oil reservoirs in Rivers State is a shocking revelation of the extent of the oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta region, which has been a source of insecurity, violence, and corruption for decades.
Source: Punch
