An illegal crude oil refinery situated in Ukwa East Local government has been destroyed by Personnel’s of the 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Ohafia, attached to the 144 Battalion Headquarters in Ukwa West local government area of Abia State.
It was gathered that the illegal refinery was being operated by a crude oil syndicate operating between Abia and Rivers State.
Reports however, said that no arrest was made and also confirmed the confiscation and subsequent destruction of two commercial L300 buses, waterproofs containing unrefined crude and the tanks used in the cooking of illegal crude oil stolen from NNPC pipeline within the area.
The sources disclosed that the operation leading to the destruction of the illegal bunker was conducted in conjunction with the operatives of the Department for State Security (DSS) in Owaza, Ukwa West LGA.
They revealed that they got a hint about the activities of an illegal crude oil syndicate operating between Abia and Rivers State, and from intelligence, tracked them to the Nkali community in Rivers State where they discovered their illegal refining camp.
“No arrest was made. The place is swampy. What happened is that they first sighted us and took to their heels and because the place is swampy, it was difficult for us to chase after them.”
