Abuja — Nigerian troops arrested 43 suspected oil thieves and seized more than 254,000 litres of stolen fuel in a series of operations across the oil-rich Niger Delta, the army said on Monday.
The week-long operations between March 31 and April 6 targeted illegal refining sites and transport networks used by oil thieves, acting army spokesperson Danjuma Jonah Danjuma said in a statement.
Troops also destroyed 14 artisanal refineries and demobilized 14 boats during the operations.
Oil theft and illegal refining are rife in Nigeria’s oil-rich delta as impoverished locals and more sophisticated criminal gangs pilfer pipelines to make fuel to sell for profit.
Seizures were made in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states. In a large, illegal bunkering site in the Sapele area of Delta, thousands of litres of stolen crude oil and refined products were recovered, along with vehicles and equipment, Danjuma said.
*Camillus Eboh, Elisha Bala-Gbogbo. Editing: Mark Potter – Reuters
