Thirty-Five illegal refineries already abandoned by their operators in the creeks that connect the three states of Ondo, Edo and Delta were set ablaze by security operatives at the weekend.
The action was taken in a joint operation carried out by personnel of the amphibious arm of the Nigeria Army, the Navy, Marine Police and Gallery Security Services, a private concern owned by an ex-militant, Bibopiri Ajube.
In the two-day operation, the team moved from one location to the other, destroying the illegal refineries in the three contiguous states.
Ajube, popularly known as ‘Shoot-at-sight’ had taken reporters round the various illegal oil refineries in the area and the barges being used to scoop crude from vandalized pipes, which were seized by his firm.
Aside the oil refineries burnt down by the team, the team set ablaze 18 local boats and nine barges being used by the suspected vandals to carry out their nefarious activities.
The operation which lasted about six hours on each day, took the security operatives to the creeks of Dababilebu, Akitogbo, Adiloseimo, Obontonu and Akina-Zion communities where the facilities were sighted.
Residents of the areas lamented that the hoodlums had with their illegal activities polluted their water and that they now travel several kilometres before they could get fresh water to drink and cook.
They also complained that kerosene produced from the illegal refineries had led to the destruction of many lives and property in the area because of its crude means of processing which made it highly inflammable.
One of the victims, who is a fisherman, Mr. Aprebisekumo Epijowori, told the JTF team at Akina zion that the locally produced kerosene was responsible for the burns all over his body which had paralyzed one of his legs.
He commended Ajube and the JTF team for their efforts at ridding his areas of oil thieves and pledged to offer instant information whenever the criminals decide to resume their operations.
Ajube, who gave N200, 000 instantly to Epijowori to seek medical treatment, appealed to residents of the area to cooperate with the JTF and his security outfit, to rid the areas of oil thieves.
A senior Army officer who led the operation, commended Ajube’ security outfit for its relentless efforts at ridding the Niger Delta areas of all forms of criminal activities.
His words “Without the support of the Gallery Security Services, the operation of the JTF would not have been successful because it was the firm that discovered the illegal refineries, the boats and barges being used by the criminals to carry out their acts”
The Army officer promised that the exercise would be a continuous one and vowed that the task force would not stop until the Nigerian water ways and pipelines are safe for legitimate businesses.