The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army has dismantled 13 illegal refining sites, recovered 300,000 litres of stolen products, and arrested 15 suspected oil thieves following operations across four Niger Delta satates from January 20 to 26, 2025.

Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations for the 6 Division, Jonah Danjuma, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

Danjuma noted that the operations included deactivating 150 locally-made ovens and were carried out in Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Akwa Ibom states.

“Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, have continued to tighten the noose against oil thieves with numerous successes resonating across the joint operations area,” Danjuma said. “These successes include the dismantling of 13 illegal bunkering hubs, four boats demobilised, arrest of 15 oil thieves, over 150 locally made ovens deactivated, and the recovery of over 300,000 litres of stolen products.”

In Edo State, troops discovered a vandalised site at Ugo Community in Orhiomwon Local Government Area, where a pool containing 252,000 litres of stolen crude oil was uncovered.

Equipment such as a pumping machine, hose, and pipes were also recovered.

In Delta State, troops intercepted a 30,000-litre DAF tanker truck siphoning crude oil from PAN Ocean Nigeria Limited Pipeline, with over 15,000 litres already stolen before the interception.

In Rivers State, operations along the Imo River corridor led to the confiscation of over 10,000 litres of stolen products.

At Owaza general area, an active illegal refining site was raided, prompting the criminals to flee upon sighting troops. A pump-action gun was recovered during the follow-up operation.

Additional successes in Rivers State included the dismantling of illegal refining clusters at Obiafu Oil Field in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, where 10 cooking drums, hoses, and reservoirs were seized. Similar operations in Abalama Community, Asari-Toru LGA, and Abacheke area, ONELGA, uncovered thousands of litres of stolen products, cooking drums, and other equipment. Eight suspects were arrested.

In Akwa Ibom State, troops raided a storage facility in Ikot Abia, Ikot Ekpene LGA, recovering polythene bags filled with stolen Automotive Gas Oil.

In Bayelsa State, troops dismantled two illegal refining sites at Isonogbene, Brass LGA, recovering over 5,000 litres of stolen crude.

General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Emekah, commended the troops’ efforts in curbing oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

“The days of criminal elements masquerading as economic saboteurs and associated crimes are numbered,” Emekah said, urging perpetrators to embrace legitimate livelihoods or face intensified military action.

Hisbah operatives in Kano have successfully rescued 16 trafficked girls at a motor park in the state.

The victims, all underage girls were rescued at the luxury bus station, Unguwa Uku.

Speaking after the operation, the Deputy Commandant, Hisbah, Mujahid Aminuddeen Abubakar said, “Our men at the motor park were able to confiscate some persons with underage female children about to be trafficked to Lagos, from there to Benin Republic and to Ghana.

“What they do, is from Ghana they will procure fake passports for them and disperse them into other Arab countries.

“All the children are underage and all females and they don’t even know what is happening. From here, some of them will die, some will be sold, some will be subjected to prostitution, some will be made slaves and it’s all against the law.

“Unfortunately, they are all Hausa, nine from Kano, four from Katsina, two from Jigawa, one from Borno; about 16 of them.”

He, therefore, called on parents to be more vigilant and shun the temptation of acquiring wealth by all means by allowing their children to risk their lives for trafficking.

“Parents must watch over them and be more vigilant; there is nothing good about it, it’s an act of slavery these girls are being subjected to when taken outside,” he said.

A 32-year-old man, Sunday Abilewa, has been remanded in custody for allegedly strangling his father to death in Isua-Akoko, Akoko South-East Local Government Area of Ondo State, following a dispute over a motorcycle.

The defendant was arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court on a one-count charge of murder after his arrest by officers of the Ondo State Police Command.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Abdulateef Suleiman, told the court that the incident occurred on December 31, 2024 at about 5:00 pm at Eberi Quarters, Isua-Akoko.

Suleiman said the defendant had approached his 68-year-old father, Abu Abilewa, demanding he buy him a new motorcycle.

When the father refused, an argument ensued, during which the defendant allegedly grabbed his father’s neck and strangled him to death.

The prosecutor added that efforts by the deceased’s wife to intervene were unsuccessful, as the defendant was reportedly under the influence of hard drugs at the time.

He stated that the offence contravenes Section 316 and is punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. II, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

Suleiman, therefore, urged the court to remand the defendant in custody, pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The presiding Magistrate, F.A. Akinboboye declined to take the defendant’s plea and ordered his remand at the Olokuta Correctional Centre.

The case was adjourned till February 25, 2025.