Troops arrest 10 pipeline vandals, 2 sea pirates in Niger Delta

August 11,2022

Troops of Operation Delta Safe have arrested 10 suspected pipeline vandals and two high-profile sea pirates in the Niger Delta in the last two weeks.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, disclosed this at a bi-weekly news briefing of the Defence Headquarters on Thursday in Abuja

Onyeuko listed the sea pirates as Fagha Golden and Victor Elkanah.

He said Elkanah was arrested at Nonwa village in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, while Golden was captured at Pharzy Spring Diagnostic and Wellness Hospital in One-Eleme LGA.

The spokesman said: “The suspects are notorious for series of armed attacks on oil vessels, kidnapping of expatriates and illegal oil bunkering in Rivers State.

“The large quantity of crude and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and the number of arrested crude oil thieves shows the unrelenting efforts by the troops.

Troops have sustained offensive posture to deny criminals the much needed space for their illegal operation in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States.

“In the process several illegal oil refining sites were discovered and destroyed

These include 37 illegal refineries, 68 dugout pits, 188 storage tanks, 33 wooden boats, 16 pumping machines, one generator, one vehicle, 175 cooking ovens and 23 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

“Also, recovered were 3.7 million litres of crude oil and 2.01 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).”