11 March 2014, Yenagoa — The outgoing Commander of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, Major General Ilyasu Abbah, has said that the current effort to stamp out crude oil theft and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta could only be achieved with the active cooperation of all stakeholders in the region.
Major General Abbah stated this at a send forth party held in his honour at the JTF headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The former JTF boss, who lauded the sister security agencies in the state for their support during his brief stay as commander, said his tenure was eventful as the outfit destroyed a total of 308 illegal refineries in the region.
Abbah, who is now the Military Secretary, Army headquarters, said that the outfit impounded and destroyed 30 barges,155 smuggling boats, 20 trucks and 566 surface tanks used by suspected oil thieves to convey their illegal products.
Also destroyed, according to the former commander were 275 drums of illegally refined products, 273 pumping machines and two outboard engines.
According to him, “nothing can be achieved maximally without the cooperation all stakeholders.”
He called on the people of the region to continue to join hand with the JTF and its sister agencies to achieve the desired objective so as to promote the economic development of the country.
*Samuel Oyadongha – Vanguard
