Navy takes battle against oil thieves to Warri communities -From Emmanuel Ogoigbe, Warri

Men of the Nigerian Navy in Warri, Delta State, have taken the battle against oil thieves to the creeks. They have continued to bombard various illegal refineries and fuel dumps in the creeks and waterways of Delta State.
Investigation by this reporter revealed that no fewer than 50 illegal refineries and fuel dumps have so far been destroyed in the last three months.
Sources said the oil thieves, who were severely dealt with several months ago, had re-grouped and relocated to hidden areas in Kantu, Iteghele and communities in Warri South West.
The activities of the oil thieves became rampant sometime in the early part of the year. At the time, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria had to raise the alarm on the huge damage being done to its facilities by oil thieves.
According to Shell, the lingering sabotage being done to its facilities by vandals was causing the Anglo-Dutch oil giant unquantifiable loss.
According to the company, no fewer than 37,000 barrels of crude oil was being stolen from its facilities on daily basis while over 92,000 volumes were spilled between 2010 and 2014 respectively.
But rising up to the challenge, the NNS Delta Warri Naval Base, led by Navy Commodore Aliyu Sule, has punctured several illegal refineries in the last three months, thus considerably reducing the unwholesome activities of the oil thieves.
Only recently, Commodore Sule personally led his team to Kantu community in Warri South West Local Government to destroy hundreds of illegal refineries as well as equipment running into millions of naira.
The Navy boss said his team, acting on information, had raided the area on two occasions and dispossessed the hoodlums of their belongings.
Commodore Sule, who vowed not to relent in the fight against the scourge, revealed that his men have been planted everywhere to further frustrate the activities of the oil thieves and make the illegal business become non-attractive. He vowed that there would be no escape route for them.
Commodore Sule disclosed that some oil thieves and two gigantic boats laden with 19,000 litres of crude oil were recently arrested at Isaba Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. According to him, one of the boats was loaded with crude oil while the other one was empty.
He said the oil thieves adopted a new system by creating a big container in the middle of the tugboat, otherwise known as Cotonou boat, in order to escape from being discovered by the Navy Personnel.
“They used to put products in jerry cans, but they decided to adopt a new system. However, the long arm of the law caught up with them when my men discovered their trick and brought out the container,” Commodore Sule said.
He, however, noted that the activities of the oil thieves were reducing drastically, noting that the Nigerian Navy had intensified patrols along the creeks and waterways.
Commodore Sule said the products concealed in the container were up to three tanker loads of petroleum products, adding that any criminal caught would not escape justice.

Culled from Sun