JTF destroys 500 illegal refineries… arrests 6 suspected oil thieves
Headlines Mar 10, 2010 By Emma Amaize and Akpokona Omafuaire
THE Joint Task Force (JTF) on the Niger-Delta have destroyed fresh 500 illegal crude oil refineries and arrested six suspected oil thieves at Egbekebor and Gbelekumor communities in Delta State.

Also, several pumping machines used by the bunkerers, drums of suspected crude and refined products were also seized.

Sector 1 Command of the JTF, under the leadership of Col. Jamil Sharham led journalists to the scenes of the oil bunkering Wednesday and paraded the suspects.

It was observed during the visit that aquatic life around the operational areas of the bunkerers has been destroyed beyond imaginable sense, while families engaged in the business have relocatred from the area because of arrest by the JTF.


One of the destroyed illegal refineries Wednesday
It was also noticed that several local boats, referred to as “Contonou boats”, which could carry over 300, 000 litres of crude, the local factories were burnt by the task force while drums of various sizes with products littered the area, spanning over three kilometers.

It was gathered that the JTF embarked on destruction of the structures and equipment to forestall the return of the operators to the business.

According to Col. Sharham, “the JTF under Brig. Gen. Sarkin Bello has zero tolerance for bunkering and refining so we have no option but to combine all forces and fight it headlong”.

He said “I mobilized my men for the operation, we arrested six persons, the operation will continue till illegal bunkering is brought to zero, we will do everything to bring illegality down. We are taking the battle to where they get the crude because if they (refiners) do not have crude they cannot refine”.

Col. Sharham said crime does not pay and advised bunkerers to desist from the business and rather, gear their energies towards improving the national economies instead of destroying it.

Investigations were on as the time of filing this report Wednesday to unmask the fleeing operators and collaborators

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/03/10/jtf-destroys-500-illegal-refineries-arrests-6-suspected-oil-thieves/comment-page-2/#comments

Aliyu Abdulazeez says:
March 10, 2010 at 7:51 pmfools why destroy the refinery when their ideas can be can be improve on, like Asher (France) says below, why not legalize their

business and use that as a foundation to start addressing the oil problem in the country, Our govt will not stop amusing me, they are so blind to see

opportunities when they present themselves, in developed world, criminals are rehabilitated and reintegrated back into the society if govt discovered that

they can create wealth or address a problem but in Nigeria, we destroy them and their ideas. What this simple act should tell the govt is that Nigerians are

very enterprise and just wanted a conducive environment to develop their God giving abilities, it is a shame that they will allow this opportunity to slip.


I kind of agree with the comment above from the comments following the story .

It is funny how the army is so skilled at destroying proof of our brains and wasting talent in this country, but they can't stop the constant problems in Jos (which they were trained for).

They should go and arrest the real king pins in oil bunkering, all of them reside in Abuja.

All those fat necked, pot bellied crooks in Abuja , yes they are the ones the Army and police should sort out !!