By Obiabin Onukwugha
Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Commodore Desmond Igbo, has expressed regret over the activities of illegal bunkerers, which he said were sabotaging the nation’s economy and causing more harm to the environment of the Niger Delta region.
Igbo spoke when he conducted newsmen around an illegal oil refinery site in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Wednesday.
The illegal refinery comprising six refining camps, located within Cawthorne Channel 2, is said to be stealing crude oil from a wellhead in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18, operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited and Sahara Energy.
The Navy Commander told journalists that the illegal refiners installed a six-inch pipeline running over two kilometres from the wellhead to the three million litres capacity reservoir, which distributes crude to the six illegal refining camps.
The Commander, who supervised the disconnection of the illegal pipeline from the wellhead and the destruction of the camps, warned youths to desist from the act and sick alternative means of livelihood.
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He said: “This is not the best way to earn a living. There are so many ways to earn a living instead of damaging the environment and also they are depriving the Federal Government of the needed revenue.
“My men, the Tactical Assault Squadron of Nigeria Navy Ship, Pathfinder, on our patrol in the creeks discovered the site on Tuesday and we are here to ensure that this does not continue anymore.
“Also, this is in compliance and pursuit of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, Emmanuel Ogalla’s directives to his field commanders that we must ensure that the issue of oil theft in the Niger Delta becomes history and eradicated at least to the barest minimum. The capacity of the bunkering sites runs into 3 million litres if not more.”
The NNS Commander pointed out that community leaders and stakeholders have a role to play in ensuring that illegal refining of crude oil is stalled in the region.
“We are engaging the community stakeholders to talk to their youths from engaging in oil theft. When I resumed command, all the community leaders, paramount rulers, have been visited and I have also told them to call their youths to order because the oil thieves can not do this without the connivance of the youths. We have told them to refrain from that and look for alternative ways to earn a living.
“We are yet to make any arrest because the place is an open place. So the hoodlums fled on sighting us, but we are going to trace them and trace those who are sponsoring them because they cannot come here without having big people behind them to sponsor them. We will put down our intelligence in action and make sure we trace their sponsors,” he added.
