The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has called for more deployment of troops in Okrika area of Rivers State to check the activities of pipeline vandals.
The Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refining Company, Mr. Banfred Enjugu, made the call when the Commander, Operation Pulo Shield, Maj.Gen. Alani Okunlola, paid a working visit to NNPC and Petroleum Pipeline Marketing Company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This is contained in a statement on Thursday by the Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, OPS, Lt.Col, Ado Isa.
Enjugu was quoted as saying that the effective patrol along the waterways of the Niger Delta by troops of the OPS had gone a long way in tackling the activities of the oil thieves in the region.
He said the patrol had also increased the production capacity of oil companies operating in Nigeria.
He said, “We also wish to call for the deployment of more troops in Okirika area to check pipeline vandalism and kidnapping targeted at some of the employees of the corporation.
He commended the OPS for its zero tolerance campaign against oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other related crimes in the region.
In his response, Okunlola thanked the NNPC boss for his good words of commendation on the troops’ operations and reassured him of the outfit’s readiness to protect all oil workers and installations in the Niger Delta.
The commander also visited PPMC jetty in Okirika, Rivers State, where he was received by the Manager, Port Harcourt Operation, Mr. A.A. Gunda, who took him around all the facilities of the corporation.
Gunda lauded the commander on the conduct of the troops in the area, which he said, was in line with the vision of the company.
Okunlola was accompanied on the visit by Commander Sector 2, OPS, and Brig.Gen. S.O. Olabanji.
In a related development, the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta (NNS Delta), a maritime component of the OPS patrolling along Bennett Island in Delta State, had arrested a wooden boat laden with automated gas oil suspected to be illegally acquired.
Isa said five suspects and a fibre boat with 75 HP engine were also arrested during the operation.
The spokesperson said illegal oil refineries were also discovered at Bollo and NAFCON creek by NNS PATHFINDER.
He said a total of 14 tanks containing 10,000 litres each of illegally refined AGO and four dumpsites of suspected stolen crude oil were discovered.
He said the sites were destroyed while the suspects were taken into custody for preliminary investigation.
He added, “The Sector 2 of the Operation in conjunction with Naval Forward Operation Base, Formoso, during a patrol along Akassa creek in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, destroyed illegal oil bunkering sites where oil thieves operated with four tanks containing stolen crude oil, three pumping machines and hoses.
He said the sites and the items were destroyed in line with the OPS mandate.
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