21 April 2013, Lokoja – The Joint security Task Force, JTF, in Kogi State has discovered an illegal refinery in Emomo village in Okene Local Government Area of the state.
The Task Force also arrested seven persons in connection with the illegal refinery.
Lt. Col. Gabriel Olufemi, JTF’s commander in the state, who conducted journalists around the refinery located about five kilometres from Okene, said the vandals were arrested following a tip-off.
Besides the seven arrested persons, he said, other accomplices were still at large, including the alleged owner of the refinery, one Ola Olumide.
The JTF boss said the illegal activities of the vandals were a well coordinated operation as a link-pipe was connected to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC, pipeline to siphon the crude oil to their refinery, where it was being refined before being loaded into trucks in drums for onward movement to unknown destinations.
He called on the security check points on Okene-Lokoja-Abuja as well as Okene-Auchi-Benin roads to ensure thorough checking on the trucks transporting fuel by making sure that their way-bills are in order so that those moving the illegal fuel can be arrested.
