No fewer than 157 incidents of crude oil theft had been recorded within the Niger Delta between December 30, 2023 and January 5, 2024.
The Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted stated the circumstances had been recorded from a number of incidence sources like Nigeria Agip Oil, 62; Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Restricted, 29; Maton Engineering Restricted, 18; Tantita Safety Companies Restricted, 8; NNPCL Command and Management Centre, 2; Shell Petroleum Improvement Firm, 4; and authorities safety companies, 34.
In accordance with a 3:23-minute video posted on its X deal with on Tuesday, the NNPCL disclosed that 52 unlawful refineries had been found in Abia, Imo, Rivers, and Bayelsa States, the place the unlawful refineries had been destroyed.
It was said that “32 unlawful connections had been uncovered in a number of components of the Niger Delta,” together with Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States.
The PUNCH learnt that unlawful connections had been additionally eliminated alongside the central hall within the Niger Delta, whereas seven unlawful storage websites had been uncovered in Akwa Ibom.
Equally, the NNPCL revealed by the video that buried drums of crude oil had been unearthed and a few had been found in bushes.
In Oporoma, Bayelsa State and Oleh in Warri, sacks of stolen crude oil had been reportedly found and confiscated.
Additionally in Delta State, drums stuffed with stolen crude oil had been discovered within the river, whereas oil effectively heads had been vandalised in Rivers State.
Previously week, 25 circumstances of pipeline vandalism had been recorded throughout a number of communities.
“12 automobiles conveying stolen crude had been arrested prior to now week throughout a number of places in Rivers and Delta States, whereas 24 picket boats conveying stolen crude had been arrested and confiscated.
“9 of those incidences befell within the deep blue water, 45 within the Jap area, 95 within the Central area, whereas eight befell within the Western area,” it was disclosed.
Within the interval underneath evaluate, NNPCL stated “17 suspects had been arrested” in reference to the incident.
“For NNPCL, there isn’t a backing down towards crude oil theft besides the menace is eradicated for good,” the corporate stated.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Federal Authorities revealed that greater than N4.3tn price of crude oil was stolen in 7,143 pipeline vandalism circumstances inside 5 years.