Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Brass, Bayelsa, has destroyed 10 illegal refinery sites, a speed boat and a total of 100,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.
The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FORMOSO), Capt. Ifeanyichukwu Mabeokwu, stated this in an interview with newsmen on Thursday, during the destruction exercise.
Mabeokwu, said that on the aspiration of the Nigerian Navy, in decimating illegal refining site and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
“My team and I are here to carry out deactivation operation in this illegally refining site”.
“As you can see, there is a large one with over 10 refining units, it has cumulatively about 800,000 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 100,000 of stolen crude oil respectively”.
“Essentially the illegally refining site is hidden away at the core of the Nembe Creek and it took us the deployment of high resolution of drones to discover this site”.
“Now it has been discovered, we are going to do everything possible to see that this does not exist and will seize from this moment”.
The Commanding Officer, said that on arrival they met all the oven still active, that it is to say they were operating this morning before they left.
“I believe they had the sound of our gun boat and they abandoned the site as we arrive here nobody was seeing”.
According to him, the Nigeran Navy, under the leadership of Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), is committed to maintaining the security and safety of the Nigerian maritime domain.
Mabeokwu, said that the Navy would continue to facilitate a conducive environment for legitimate businesses to flourish and contribute to the nation’s economic progress.
He warned those who indulge in such illegal activities of oil theft to desist from such illegitimate business, as the Nigerian Navy will not allow them to find peace.
