Metro

Army Uncovers 3m Litres Of Stolen Oil In Rivers

Published

2 years ago

January 18, 2024

The 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Port Harcourt, has uncovered 14 crude oil reservoirs containing about three million litres of stolen crude in Odagwa Etche in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Also, the Army said the reservoir has 49 boilers used in refining stolen crude in the area, which is then moved out through various channels.

The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Port Harcourt, Maj-Gen. Jamal Abdussalam, while conducting newsmen around the reservoirs located in the thick forest of Odagwa Etche on Thursday, said his decision to bring the journalists to the scene was for them to see things for themselves so that Nigerians will know what is happening.

Abdusalam disclosed that through credible intelligence, officers of the division were able to discover about 14 reservoirs that contained upward of about 200,000 litres of crude oil inside the forest.

Abdusalam said the suspects constructed various tanks and used hoses and cables to connect crude oil from abandoned wellheads located within the area.

He said, “You can see that this place is in a deep forest. Even if you are using helicopters and military drones, you will not be able to see what we actually saw here on the ground. We have discovered based on credible intelligence which led us to this location.

“We have discovered many illegal activities. As you can see, we have seen reservoirs that can contain upwards of 200, 0000 litres of crude oil.

‘We have discovered about 14 of them in this bush. We have also discovered boilers capable of processing crude oil about 49 of them all located inside this bush and we have seen the network of hoses and cables connected around the whole area.”

He added, “The crude oil we have discovered in this place is in excess of the daily crude oil export of Nigeria. This is very pathetic and very sad to note.

“Here, we discovered 14 reservoirs and each reservoir stored a minimum of 200,000 litres of crude oil. So simple math will give you in excess of three million litres of crude oil that is stored. We are not talking of the ones that have been processed and taken out; these are the ones that we have discovered.

“This place is called Odagwa in Rivers State and inside this place we have well heads, many of them we don’t know the exact number of well heads around here.”

The GOC added that “most of them are not in use, but you can see that it’s from these well heads that these people put their pipes to siphon this oil. Few arrests have been made however, those that we have arrested are not the major players in this business, they are just carriers of the stolen oil.”

He said the discovery was part of the Army’s efforts to ensure that the government gets what is due to it.

“The budget has been sent by Mr President to the National Assembly and the National Assembly has passed it into law and the executive has also signed it and it has become law.

“That budget was planned based on some parameters. One of the parameters is the crude oil production we churn out every day. So any drop in crude oil production affects everybody in this country.

“Our people are not aware of that and that is why they are involved in this type of business,” he explained.

Related Topics:illegal refineries refineries Refinery

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Metro

Two Brothers Miraculously Escape From Kidnappers’ Den In Edo

Published

1 day ago

November 10, 2025

Editor

Two brothers, identified as Isaac and Victor Olayere, who were kidnapped on November 8 along Adughe and Imoga Road have miraculously escaped from kidnappers’ den.

The two brothers were taken into the bush as soon as they were kidnapped, throwing Uma/Imoga community into confusion, as the kidnappers demanded N22 million ransom.

While the community was still at a loss over how to raise the ransom, the victims called their father with an unknown number, telling him they had escaped from the kidnappers den.

The Okpahi of Imoga Kingdom, Oba Patrick Obajoye revealed this during a telephone interview.

He called on the authorities to come to the rescue of Imoga, a town he said, shares border with Ondo and Kogi, thereby making it prone to kidnapping activities.

He said, “The two brothers were kidnapped on November 8 along Adughe and Imoga Road and were taken into the bush.

“Later, the kidnappers reached out to the family and demanded a ransom of N22 million, throwing the ancient community of Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo Local Government Area, Edo State.

“I swiftly reported the incident to the Ibillo Police Station with the hope that the rescue effort will lead to the release of the brothers.

“It was said that somehow, the kidnappers suddenly went into a deep slumber in the forest, enabling their victims to escape. They were found by the vigilante of Adughe, a neighbouring community in Kogi that speaks the same Okpameri language with Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo.

“The vigilantes called Imoga people and the youth mobilised and entered the forest, but they could not see the kidnappers who had woken up after their captives had escaped and fled.

He noted that the activities of kidnappers and armed herders have become a major problem in the community, urging the authorities to create a police post in the area.

He added, “We need police presence in Imoga. If a police post is created here, the officers will patrol the community which will give the resident rest of mind.

“Imoga is the largest village in Akoko Edo, particularly in terms of land mass, into which many herders have entered en masse. It is the link between Edo State and the northern part of the country.”

Metro

NDLEA Arrests 39 Suspects With 2,477.59kg In Edo

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, have arrested thirty-nine (39) suspected drug traffickers with 2,477.59 Kg of narcotic drugs.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, state commander of the NDLEA made this known in a statement titled: operational scorecard for October 2025, which he made available to newsmen in Benin on Monday.

According to the statement, the suspects consist of twenty-seven (27) males and twelve (12) females.

The statement added that, within the period under review, three cannabis sativa farms measuring 6.711192 hectares with an estimated yield of 16,777.98 kg were also destroyed.

A breakdown of the total 2,477.59 kg of seized drugs indicates that Cannabis Sativa 2,476.87 kg; Tramadol 0.3575 kg; Nitrazepam 0.068 kg; Bromazepam 0.8141 kg; Diazepam 0.084 kg; Swinol 0.0036 kg; Danabol (Molly) 0.013 kg; Methamphetamine (abandoned) 0.0465 kg and Codeine Syrup 0.1 litre.

According to the statement, three cannabis farms located in the Ugbodo Forest of Ovia North East Local Government Area, covering an area of 6.71 hectares, with an estimated yield of 16,777.98 kg of illegal crops, were eliminated.

The command’s prosecution unit also made significant strides in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking.

“October saw the conviction of eleven individuals involved in drug-related offences and eleven new cases charged in the courts. Currently, there are 121 pending cases at the Federal High Court in Benin City.

“Our commitment remains steadfast as we continue to enforce the law, educate members of the public, and rehabilitate affected individuals who have problems using drugs.

“The fight against drug trafficking is relentless, and those who continue to engage in this illegal trade will face not only heightened enforcement but also stiffer penalties,” the statement reads.

Metro

Police Rescue Stolen Boy, Arrest Six Over Child Trafficking In Anambra

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a three-year-old boy who was stolen in the state and arrested six members of a child-stealing and trafficking syndicate operating across Anambra, Enugu, and Lagos states.

A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, said that on September 4, following a petition from the victim, operatives attached to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, began an investigation into the case.

Ikenga explained that the petition detailed how the complainant’s daughter had left her three-year-old son in the care of one Samuel Ibe of Umusiome, Nkpor Uno, while she briefly went to her shop.

“On her return, both the child and the said Samuel were missing. Swift investigative actions by the operatives led to the arrest of the said Samuel Ibe. His confessional statement subsequently led to the arrest of his mother, Agatha Ejeweh, 35, and his younger brother, Ejeweh Chigozie Chidera, 15,” he said.

He further disclosed that operatives extended their investigation to Enugu State, where one Angela Eze, 30, was apprehended for collaborating with Juliet Onah to facilitate the transfer of the stolen child to Lagos.

“Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives proceeded to Lagos State, where a suspect, China Cosmas, was arrested and the stolen child was successfully rescued. The child has since been reunited with his family in good health,” Ikenga added.

He confirmed that the suspects involved in the crime are currently in custody and will be charged in court upon completion of investigations.

Ikenga reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, warning that criminal elements should not consider Anambra State a safe haven for any form of criminal enterprise.