Defense Headquarters reports that over the past two weeks, the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, has destroyed 39 illegal oil refinery sites in the South South region.
At a biweekly news briefing on military operations on Thursday in Abuja, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, Director of Defence Media Operations, announced this.
In the course of Operation Octopus Grip and other operations, the troops, according to Danmadami, destroyed 48 cooking ovens, 103 storage tanks, 27 dugout pits, and 33 wooden boats.
He added that 13 vehicles, a barge, three pumping units, three speed boats, and one tug boat were also found by the troops.
According to him, troops recovered 274,000 litres of crude oil, 71,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 15 Ak47 rifles, while 40 suspected economic saboteurs were arrested.
“All recovered items and apprehended suspects have been handed over to the appropriate authority for further action” he said.
“Equally, the air component of the Operation Delta Safe conducted air interdiction to several illegal refining sites and creeks at Gogokiri Degema and Okrika Local Government Areas both in Rivers State between Jan. 12 and Jan. 24.
“Crew observed the sites to be active make shift tents sighted as well as illegal refining activities been carried out.
“Targets were engaged with weapons and the locations were observed to have exploded in an inferno while the illegal refining equipment’s were also destroyed,” he said.
In South East, defence spokesman said the military and other security agencies had sustained the offensive against the activities of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network criminals in the zone.
He said the troops had neutralised six terrorists, arrested 24 and rescued 16 abducted civilians.
According to him, several calibre of arms and ammunition including AK47 rifles, pump action rifles, IEDs and locally made explosive pipes among other items were also recovered. (NAN)
