Air Force intercepts oil thieves, destroys illegal refining sites in Rivers

Senate committee frowns on neglect of host communities

As activities of oil thieves and economic saboteurs become sophisticated, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and other security agencies have restrategised to check their activities and be ahead of their game.

In most cases, oil thieves in the Niger Delta region have continued to find new ways of concealing their overhead tanks used in storing stolen crude oil from busted pipelines, just as they have continued to infuse the use of fast speed boats to convey their stolen goods.

Unfortunately for these criminals, the NAF and other security agencies have also upped their ante with modern technology and hardware that enables them to detect and deter the activities of these enemies of the state.

In Wilcourt, a riverine settlement within the creeks of Niger Delta region, which is becoming notorious for illegal oil activities, the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe sighted and destroyed three Illegal Refining Sites (IRS) with seven overhead tanks concealed under thick mangrove vegetation.

According to NAF spokesman, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, about 5Km downstream, four boats were also sighted moving southwards with suspected illegally refined products.

MEANWHILE, the Senate Committee on Oil and Gas Host Community may summon the management of Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo (SCD) Joint Venture (JV) to appear before it, following the recent protest by the youth of Finima Community of Rivers State, which stopped construction work at the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 site.

Youths of Finima Community, last week, defied heavy rains and staged a protest at the construction sites of the gas giant firm project.

The technical team sent by the Senate committee visited Finima at the weekend, met with the people and examined the issues that led to the protest.

Leader of the team and Technical Adviser to the Senate Committee, Emine Tiyeinabeso, frowned on the attitude of the management of SCD JV in not having a working document with the host community despite extant provisions as captured in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

He noted that while the Federal Government was working hard to ensure that host communities benefit from projects and facilities in their domains, some contractors are working against such initiatives.