Military Seizes 715,325 Litres of Stolen Oil, Arrests 20, Denies Them Over N744 Million
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Military Seizes 715,325 Litres of Stolen Oil, Arrests 20, Denies Them Over N744 Million
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Nigerian military has made significant progress in its campaign against crude oil theft, recovering 715,325 litres of stolen oil and arresting 20 individuals in the past week.
It also denied oil thieves an estimated seven hundred and forty four million, one hundred and fifty three thousand, nine hundred naira only (N744,153,900.00) in potential revenue in the past week alone.
According to Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations in a statement on Friday, the military further dismantled 11 dugout pits, five boats, and 20 storage tanks used for illegal refining.
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These operations are part of a broader strategy to enhance crude oil production by ensuring transparency among International Oil Companies, maintaining the integrity of metering systems, and tracking the movement of crude oil from loading points to destinations.
In addition to the crackdown on oil theft, the military’s efforts have resulted in the rescue of 140 kidnapped hostages and the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition.
The recovered items include 56 AK-47 rifles, 26 locally fabricated guns, 22 dane guns, one SMG rifle, seven pump-action guns, one fabricated Beretta pistol, seven locally made guns, five unexploded 60mm mortar bombs, and two small rubber gunpowder devices.
Further recovered items include 1,244 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 383 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 88 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammunition, 78 live cartridges, 24 empty cases of 7.62mm ammunition, 21 AK-47 magazines, one Baofeng radio, six vehicles, 11 motorcycles, five bicycles, 38 mobile phones, and N2,737,145.00 in cash.
“The military is in a strong position in the war against terrorists and oil thieves,” Major General Buba stated. “Our operations continue to focus on providing security and stability for the nation and its citizens.”
The statement also emphasized that the military will ensure the prosecution of those involved in crude oil theft and other criminal activities.
