Casualty figure, if any, was not known at the time of this report yesterday.
However, our correspondent reliably gathered that it occurred around a boundary community between Delta and
Three suspects were arrested along with some paraphernalia of the illicit deal by the JTF troops, which later subdued the suspected hoodlums shortly before the break of dawn.
Confirming the report, the Coordinator, JTF Media Campaign Centre, Lt. Col. Rabe Abubakar, said, 20 barges used to convey stolen crude oil from oil facilities to waiting vessels in the high sea were seized during the operation.
He said, “In continuation of the efforts of the JTF to eradicate the illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism to the barest minimum and also restore peace and sanity in the Niger Delta, the men of the JTF through its intelligence, surveillance and proactive operation led to the intercepting and arrest of 20 crude oil barges at the sea close to Aggei in Delta State.”
Our correspondent’s investigation revealed that the JTF’s effort on Thursday night may have saved the nation a whopping $7.1 million.
Oil industry sources told our correspondent that the 20 barges could have been laden with up to 62,000 barrels of crude oil.
“An average barge can take up 3,105 barrels of crude oil depending on the size and other factors including the quantity those involved are able to siphon into it. Assuming all the barges were loaded, we could be talking about over 60,000,” an oil expert who craved anonymity revealed.
In a related development,
He said the gang members were arrested at the Otorogu Gas Plant operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The suspects (names withheld) were reportedly caught while scooping petroleum products, including condensate, from the pipeline.
“Items recovered from the pipeline vandals included one 18-seater midi bus with registration number Nassarawa XA 147 KEF, eight empty drums and four hose used in siphoning petroleum products,” he added.
Similarly, the JTF image-maker revealed that its troops discovered 52 12” pipes vandalised from the Odidi Platform of SPDC: The facility has been down since 2006 when suspected militants invaded the station and looted strategic equipment.
He said, “The JTF Commander (Brig. Gen. Wuyep Rimtip) while inspecting the stolen piles, stressed that he will not rest on his oars in the patriotic assignment given to him to rid the region from all forms of illegal oil activities.”
Rimtip, according to Abubakar, appealed to community leaders and well meaning indigenes in the region to assist the JTF with useful information that could lead to “combating miscreants in their areas.”
