The Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), on Thursday, made a significant discovery in Bayelsa. They uncovered three reservoirs utilized for storing illegally refined fuel in Biogbolo along Tamara street.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the total capacity of these reservoirs was approximately 35,000 liters of Automated Gas Oil, accompanied by 38 jerrycans filled with illicitly refined products loaded in a vehicle.
Commodore John Siyanbade, representing the OPDS Commander, Rear Adm. Olusegun Ferreira, emphasized the importance of their efforts in combating criminal activities in the Niger Delta. He highlighted the adverse impacts of such illegal activities on the nation’s economy and the potential dangers it poses to the community’s health and safety.
The OPDS Commander warned those engaged in illegality to cease their activities immediately, as the task force is determined to enforce the law. Their primary mandate is to safeguard oil and gas installations, and they are fully committed to achieving that goal.
During the operation, which involved cooperation with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, three individuals working at the facility were arrested and subjected to interrogation. Additionally, a woman suspected to be the facility owner’s wife was also arrested. She claimed that they resorted to this business for survival and was unaware of its illegality.
