Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Determined to tackle maritime crimes in the country, the Defence Headquarters said it has arrested 2 high profile sea pirates known as Fagha Golden (aka) fine boy at Nonwa village in Tai Local Government Area and Victor Elkanah (aka) Victor Padi at Pharzy Spring Diagnostic and Wellness Hospital, One-Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Outgoing Director, Defence Media Operations Major General Benard Onyeuko disclosed this while briefing journalists on military operations in the past 2 weeks.
General Onyeuko said, the suspects are notorious for the series of armed attacks on oil vessels, kidnapping of expatriates and illegal oil bunkering within the state.
He affirmed that troops in the South South on the country have sustained offensive posture to deny criminal’s the much needed space for their illegal operation in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers State respectively.
He said in the process several illegal oil refining sites were discovered and destroyed. These includes 37, 68 dugout pits, 188 storage tanks, 33 wooden boats, 16 pumping machines, 1 generator, 1 vehicle, 175 cooking ovens and 23 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
“Also, recovered was Three Million Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand (3,750,000) ltrs of crude oil and Two Million and Nineteen Thousand (2,019,000) ltrs of Automotive Gas Oil and the arrest of 10 suspected pipeline vandals” he added.
The large quantity of crude and Automotive Gas Oil through a great to the economy and the number of arrested crude oil thieves shows the unrelenting efforts by the troops of Operation DELTA SAFE.
