Illegal Refinery: FG Uncovers 221 Cases of Oil theft in One Week

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company has revealed that no fewer than 221 cases of oil theft were uncovered across various communities of the Niger Delta region in the past week.

According to the NNPC, the incidents, including illegal refineries, illegal connections, pipeline vandalism, and others, were recorded between July 6 and 12.

It noted that the incidents were recorded across several locations in the Niger Delta region from several incident sources: Tantita Security Agency, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Agip Oil Company, and NNPC Limited Command and Control Centre, as well as government security agencies.

In a video released by the NNPC, 94 illegal connections were discovered across several locations.

About 94 illegal pipelines were reportedly discovered in Rivers State and other states in the region.

In Bayelsa State, an illegal connection was found on the Agip pipeline and was removed with further repairs undertaken, the state energy company noted.

NNPC disclosed that the destruction of 39 illegal refineries took place in Rivers and Bayelsa, while several illegal storage sites were said to have been uncovered across different communities in Rivers, Imo and Abia States.

It revealed that oil spills were discovered in communities in Bayelsa and Rivers States, owing to the activities of vandals.

On land, vehicles loaded with stolen crude oil were intercepted in the Rivers and Delta States.

Similarly, on the water, wooden boats conveying stolen crude oil were confiscated in Bayelsa, Delta and Abia.

The incidents, it was learnt, occurred across various corridors: 125 in the central corridor, 57 in the eastern corridor, 24 in the western corridor, and 15 in deep blue water.

According to NNPC, in total, 14 suspects were arrested during the one week.

It noted that there was no backing down on the war on crude oil theft until the menace was eradicated.

It added that the war against illegal oil theft and the security collaboration on hydrocarbon infrastructure had continued to record remarkable progress.