Don't Miss


Home   >   Business   >   Industries   >   Energy   >   Army destroys 50 illegal refineries in Delta, arrests two

Army destroys 50 illegal refineries in Delta, arrests two

By on May 2, 2013

The Nigerian army, on Wednesday, continued its drive to rid the nation of all illegal refineries, DailyPost has gathered.

In a raid carried out by officers and men of the 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, Delta State, it destroyed over 50 illegal refineries located at the deep mangrove swamp forest in the outskirts of Otumara community in Warri South-West Council Area of Delta State.

The team also apprehended two men, Zion Takeme, 26 and Alex Ebie, 22, for allegedly dealing in locally refined crude.
They were arrested on their way to delivering 10 drums of diesel to some dealers.

Led by the Commanding Officer of the Effurun barracks near Warri, Lt. Col. Ifeanyi Otu, the team undertook a two-hour journey on the water, accompanied by some journalists.

Commander Otu described the site as the biggest conglomerate of illegal refineries so far discovered in the state, noting that the destruction of the equipment worth millions of naira and the burning of illegally refined products worth billions of naira were a major breakthrough in the fight against the illicit trade and economic sabotage.

The illegal refineries, with a complex network of connecting hoses leading to different local export terminals were located inside a very narrow windy creek stretching several kilometres from the refining spot.

The two suspects arrested, however, claimed that they knew nothing about the product, and that they were only running an errand, even as they refused to name the product’s owners.