The Nigerian Navy said that its operatives have discovered a large site with three tanks used as storage point in Okolomade Community in Abua Odual local government area of Rivers State.
The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH (NNS), Commodore Nanmar Lakan, stated this during a tour of the site with newsmen, adding that the last arrest they made led them through credible information and intelligence of human technology to discover the particular site.
Lakan said that the site is used as a storage point to store illegally refined petroleum products in a tank containing illegally refined AGO commonly known as diesel.
He said, “We have opened the tank and have confirmed the product. We are going to do further investigation to know the source of the products and also to discover where the people are refining the product in this particular point.
“The tank beside me is also filled up with stolen products. With further investigation, we will discover which pipe they stole the product from. With what we are seeing here, we are still pleading with the perpetrators to desist from it. I told them the last time that we are coming for them.
“I want to assure them that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them. So, it is my candid advice that they stop this environmental pollution. Crude oil theft/ pipeline vandalism is not good for our country; it is not good for our economy and it is not also good for the citizens. I appeal they should look for other means of survival.
“Stolen crude oil is causing problem everywhere. I assure them that me and my men will work seriously day and night to ensure that illegality stops,” he said.
Commodore Lakan stated that the products will be handed over to the appropriate authority that will do further investigation to ensure that the illegality stops in Nigeria.
He said that under the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff and the mandate of Operation Delta Safe, the NNS SOROH have continued to carry out patrol in all areas within her area of responsibility.
The Commander urged the citizens of Nigeria to assist the security agencies to carry out task and for those that have been assisting them with information, he commended and appreciated them for their efforts.
The commander said they equally arrested tricycle with fully loaded illegally refined product, but on sighting his men, the driver abandoned it and ran away.
He urged those involved in illegality to desist from it and look for legitimate business to do, adding that the law will surely catch up with them sooner or later.
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