By Bisola Adeyemo
No fewer than 51 illegal refineries operating in the oil-rich southern region were destroyed on Thursday by Nigerian troops during the fight against “economic saboteurs and other criminal elements.”
Speaking at a media briefing on the ongoing military operations across the country in Abuja, Brig. Gen. Bernard Onyeuku, the military spokesperson, said troops from Operation Delta Safe deactivated the sites, which were identified in the southern states of Rivers, Abia, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Imo, Xinhua reported.
“In the course of the operations, troops discovered and deactivated 51 illegal refining sites,” he said, adding 23 suspects related to illegal refining were arrested together with some weapons and ammunition.
Activities of oil pipeline vandalization and oil theft were frequently reported in the biggest oil producer in Africa, causing huge economic losses and even claiming lives every year.
