Navy uncovers two tapped well heads in Rivers creeks

The Nigerian Navy has uncovered tapped wellheads in two different locations where major acts of economic sabotage take place unhindered in the creeks of Rivers State.

The Navy, in its bid to frustrate efforts of oil assets saboteurs at the Oil Mining Lease(OML)18 at Kala Ekweama in Asari-Toru Council of the state being operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited(NNPC), intercepted and foisted moves by the oil thieves to continue their nefarious act.

Also, the Navy intercepted another tapped wellhead at krakama creek in the Degema Local Government Area of the State where crude was being siphoned into large locally fabricated boats that contain over three thousand litres.

Speaking to journalists at both sites of the covert operation, Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship(NNS) Pathfinder, Commodore Sulaiman Ibrahim said the feat was one out of the numerous achievements in the war against oil theft in the country.

Ibrahim, who assured full Naval presence in stamping out oil sabotage, affirmed his commitment in curbing all activities of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

He, disclosed that the recent discovery of the two locations where the sabotage act was going on unabetted shows the sophistication of oil bunkering activities in the region.

He revealed that intelligence gathered from routine arial patrol by Naval helicopter deployed to scan the area on prompted the Navy to storm the creek and dislodge the sabotuers.

He said this terrain was actually discovered by our air assets you all know what it took for us to get here, ordinarily this is difficult terrain, the Navy has put everything on the ground to ensure that it curbs illegal crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

We had one of our assets a naval helicopter on an Arial patrol it was in the course of the patrol that we discovered this site, immediately gunboats were scrambled and we had our personnel slept here so as to discontinue the oil theft process and their boats and other machines taken away.

The Naval Commander further disclosed that although nobody had been arrested, the wellheads were badly compromised and will require a good technical expert to clamp down the spewing crude and contain the spillage.

Responding to the allegations that the Nigerian Navy and other military officers are in connivance with those involved in oil theft, Ibrahim, pleaded with the public to do well to step forward with information and names of officers involved in oil theft so they can be prosecuted, adding that it takes the collective efforts of the military and public to win the war against illegal oil exploration.

Ibrahim stated that the Navy is readily available to collaborate with the community stakeholders to ensure that their facilities are well protected inline with the chief of Naval staff strategic directives.