The Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd have begun attempts to completely dismantle the illegal oil pipelines in the creeks of Rivers State.
Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, had remarked that the oil theft was the most sophisticated illicit crude oil operation he had ever seen.
The Navy led by Ibrahim had gone to the creeks with operators of the NNPC’s Oil Mining Lease 18 (OML 18) to take apart the illegal crude oil theft operation.
It has been said that the level of sophistication and quality of craftsmanship displayed by the oil thieves is tremendously high. Regardless, a swamp buggy had been deployed to dig out the unlicensed pipelines.
Additionally, several suspects who claimed to be transporters of the illicitly refined diesel had been arrested and questioned by the commander.
Meanwhile, while acknowledging the Navy, the Chairman of Emohua LGA had stated that the fight against bunkering was not one the navy nor the local government chairmen could face alone.
Well 17 which had been recently installed by NNPC and still yet to be commissioned had been taken over by oil thieves who had steadily been siphoning crude from it.
Questions still remain over the level of involvement the residents and security operatives stationed in the area in this unlawful operation.
