By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
The Commander of Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Delta Safe, Rear Adm. Aminu Hassan has disclosed the destruction of about 2,000 illegal crude oil artisanal refineries in Rivers State.
He made the disclosure during the the force’s visit to a major illegal refining site in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State in company of the European Union (EU) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC).
According to a statement made available to Stonix News on Saturday, July, 23, the visit was for the EU partners to see how crude oil thieves set up illegal refineries and its adverse impact on the environment.
The visit was for the EU partners to see things for themselves and how crude oil thieves set up illegal artisanal refineries and their adverse impact on the environment.
According to Cammander Hassan, this feat was made possible because illegal refiners are always busy doing illicit business in 100 composite units.
“Within the period of three months more than 2,000 illegal refineries have been destroyed in the area.
“In one site here you can get between 50 to 100 composite units where everyone is operating, just like a market, everybody is doing his illicit business in one market. So, that is how they operate.
“Within a refining site, you can get hundreds of units, everyone doing his own, within a week or thereabout you can succeed in destroying thousands.
“Mechanically we are destroying their machines which they are very fast in constructing,” he said.
In his address, Mr Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC, commended the JTF for the good work they are doing in the Niger Delta region, in safeguarding the nation’s oil and gas assets.
He asserted that Nigeria will soon curtail the violations, according to him, they came with their development partners to see how much work is going on and how they can be of assistance to bring sanity, restore oil production and restore security for everyone.
Stating that the illegal refiners are not from the community, he enthused that menace of illegal refining will reduce to its minimal level by the end of August.
“It cannot happen unless we are able to work together with all the reports, we are also ready for our partners to see things for themselves and the efforts that are made to curtail the situation.
“Today the livelihood of the people here are impacted, people doing the business are not from the community, they are actually from other places.
“We are working with the community to take this out so that they can go back to their normal way of life and we are happy we are here today to see things for ourselves and our partners,” he said.
He urged those indulging in such illegality to desist from such and find legitimate business, to better their lives.
Also, commending JTF and NNPC for their efforts in salvaging the oil and gas sector, Deputy Director General, European Union, Mr Mathew Baldwin, said they are on fact finding, to see things for themselves, adding that oil theft and illegal refining remains a big problem.
The EU delegation team comprised Ms Samuela Isopi, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Cecile Leeman’s Team Leader Southern partnerships EU Commission.
Others were Mr Richard Young, Head of Division West Africa, Mr Thomas Kieler, Political Adviser, EU delegation to Nigeria, Mr Jerome Riviere, Programme Manager EU delegation to Nigeria, Mr Juan Sell, Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, amongst others.
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