The Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Delta has commenced the use of Swamp buggies to crush illegal refineries in the Delta creeks.
The Commander of NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu flagged off the exercise on Tuesday at Isara creek in Escravos, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta.
He said that the development would bring a lasting solution to the illegal refineries business been perpetrated in the Niger Delta region.
Commodore noted that the perpetrators of the illicit acts keep resuscitating their illegal trade shortly after they have been destroyed by the navy hence the need for the new innovation.
Dewu said it would be difficult for the saboteurs to come back and start afresh after all their facilities had been crushed completely.
The Navy boss said that a lot illegal refineries including storage tanks and pipes used by the criminals were crushed completely by the Swamp buggies during the flag off in Isara creek adding that the exercise would last for about one week.
He also said that the exercise was a continuation of the ongoing multiple ‘Operation Tsare Teku’, ‘Wild Valentine’ and ‘Operation River Sweep 2’ of the Nigerian Navy to rid the nation’s maritime domain of criminal activities.
Dewu said, “We flagged off this exercise today and our men in the Forward Operation Base (FOB) in Escravos will continue from there while we continue from our own side.
“We have been destroying illegal refineries and they keep on reactivating them.
“So what will bring lasting solution to the challenges is the use of Swamp buggies to destroy the whole facilities they are using, it will not be easy for them to go back there and work.
“We destroyed a lot of illegal refineries today with the Swamp buggies especially the storage tanks and pipes they connect to siphon crude oil,” he said.
The Navy boss said that most of the illegal refineries were located close to abandoned oil well heads and the oil pipelines of which the latter is by law against the “right of ways”
“Most of the illegal refineries are sited close to abandoned oil well heads and pipelines which is basically what this exercise is all about to clear them all,” he said
Dewu noted that the NNS Delta would next commence the exercise from the creeks closed to the Warri naval base and advanced towards Escravos to effectively comb the creeks and nip those illegalities in the bud.
