The military high command, yesterday, said a combined air and artillery bombardment of criminal hideouts in the North-west and North-central killed 95 bandits and kidnappers in the last two weeks while 61 others were arrested.
It also said troops recovered 2,509,000 litres of crude oil, 133,824 litres of diesel, 7,000 litres of kerosene, one vessel and 16 tankers while 23 illegal oil refineries were destroyed even as 22 oil thieves were arrested in the Niger Delta region within the same period, adding that, the recoveries denied oil thieves N654,850,755.04
Another air strike, he said, led to the killing of a notorious terrorist kingpin known as Ali Dogo (aka Yellow) alongside 30 of his fighters while they were having a meeting at a building.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that troops had arrested no fewer than 45 oil thieves and destroyed 23 illegal refining sites in two weeks.
He said one vessel belonging to a cartel of oil thieves, MT Deima, was arrested with eight crew members on board the ship.
“Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe in the South South Region, have continued to sustain aggressive patrols to curb the menace of Crude Oil Theft (COT) and illegal bunkering within Nigeria maritime environment with a view to ensuring the economic prosperity of the nation,” he said.
He said troops of Operation Delta Safe, in the conduct of Operation Octopus Grip, discovered and destroyed 23 illegal refining sites, 87 wooden boats, seven speed boats, 284 storage tanks, 160 cooking ovens, three fibre boats and 18 dugout pits.
Troops, he said, also, recovered 2,509,000 litres of crude oil, 133,824 litres of Automotive Gas Oil and 7,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine (DPK), 16 tankers, one vessel, eight pumping machines, motorcycle and 42 suspected criminals were also arrested while the sum of N654,850,755.04 were also denied oil thieves.
He affirmed that all recovered items and apprehended criminals had been handed over to the appropriates authority for further action
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