*Army destroys another illegal oil refinery in Rivers
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has charged security executives to be mindful of intelligence gathering in any operation as this would enhance security of lives across Africa.
This is as the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said it has destroyed another illegal oil refinery, after discovering eight reservoirs filled with stolen crude oil and five boilers in a thick forest at Odagwa community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Akpabio gave the charge when he addressed the faculty members and participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 of the National Institute for Security Studies who paid him a courtesy visit.
Participants in the course were drawn from 30 security related agencies in Nigeria and five African countries of Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, Ghana, The Gambia and Rwanda.
They would undertake a 10-month course on the theme, ‘Artificial intelligence, security and emerging economies in Africa: challenges and prospects’.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Media/Communication to the Senate President, Mr. Anietie Ekong, quoted Akpabio as imploring the participants to deploy the knowledge gathered at the course to bring about security of not just West Africa but of Africa and the global community in general.
Akpabio said, “Be mindful of the need for intelligence. It is extremely important in any operation. Today, we are faced with insecurity across the globe, from Gaza to Ukraine, Iraq and some of our neighbouring countries which are suffering from disrupted democracies.
“There is also the issue of cross border banditry and kidnapping, Boko Haram, insurgencies and all sorts of insecurities around the world.
“That is why you are here and it is expected that with the knowledge that you have gathered as participants in the course, when you go back to your duty posts, things will be different.”
Akpabio took the course participants through the workings of the parliament as the Chairman of the National Assembly, from lawmaking to oversight functions.
In his address, the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies of the National Institute for Security Studies, Mr D. E. Egbeji, commended Akpabio for always identifying with the Institute since his days as the governor of Akwa Ibom State.
Meanwhile, the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt alleged that the illegal crude oil refinery that steals crude oil from wellheads in the area, was destroyed during an anti-crude oil theft operation led by the Garrison Command.
The Commander, 6 Division Garrison and Sector 3, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Brigadier General Eddie Effiong, told journalists yesterday, at the site of the incident that the operation was carried out after a tip off, notifying the division of the establishment of the illegal refining site.
Effiong stated that the achievement is in continuation of the Division’s fight against oil theft in Rivers State and Niger Delta region.
He said, “In continuation of the fight against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities, we got a tip off that since we destroyed the last illegal oil refinery on the opposite side, the oil thieves have relocated here and then reestablished their illegal refineries and continue their illegal activities.
“And coming here today, we found out that they truly relocated to the right side and reestablished their illegal refining site, and they are still trying to establish more. And having confirmed this, we are here to ensure that those illegal refineries are destroyed.
“In this reestablished illegal refinery, we have discovered 8 reservoirs and 5 cooking pots. And from our gathering, the minimum quantity of crude in each reservoir is nothing less than 100,000 litres of stolen crude.
“In all, what we discovered here in all the reservoirs, is nothing less than a million litres of stolen crude that is about to be refined into AGO (diesel).”
He said they are imploring a non-kinetic approach to advise the oil thieves and talk to their consciences through regular seminars as well as their community heads and youth leaders to turn a new leaf.
According to the 6 Division Garrison Commander, the army will not rest on their oars until the fight against illegal oil bunkering and oil theft is won in the region. “We will keep trailing them and continue to destroy the illegal sites, despite how difficult the terrain could be.
He advised all those involved in illegal oil bunkering activities in the state and Niger Delta to repent and look for better means of making money.
“We are also trying our best to discourage them through their village heads and youth leaders, talking to them to repent and engage in a better and legal business.
“We all know what crude oil is to the Nigerian economy. Everyone in the country is feeling the impact of the economy presently, and the more they do this, it is also going to negatively impact all of us.
“Yes, things are hard but that shouldn’t push us into criminality, because our country is bleeding and if we keep doing this, we will keep bleeding the more and everybody will feel it,” he said.
