Army raids illegal fuel depot, discovers 13 boats with diesel

Thirteen boats, 15 Geepee tanks and 152 iron drums, containing substances suspected to be refined Automated Gasoline Oil (diesel), were discovered during a raid by the 3 Battalion Nigerian Army, Effurun Barracks, on Thursday.
Acting on a tip off, the army said that they discovered an illegal well-head loading point and a large refinery camp at Okpoghene, near Egwa 1, Warri South West Local Government  of Delta State.
No arrest was made during the raid at the oil bunkering camp, but the illegal refinery from which the fuel was loaded was destroyed by the soldiers.
At the loading point, it was discovered that the bunkerers were loading crude oil from the well-head, suspected to belong to Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC).
The troops also discovered bunkering equipment such as four pumping machines, 14 cooking ovens and several hoses during the raid.
According to the Army, the bunkerers had connected a pipe from the well-head to the loading point, covering a distance of about 1,500m.
Major H. Jida, in a statement on behalf of the Commanding Officer, Lt.Col. Ifeanyi Otu, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspects fled on sighting the troops.