Activists Slam Nigerian Navy Over Alleged Discovery of Forty Illegal Refineries in Jones Creeks

Some Niger Delta Activists yesterday, took a swipe at the Nigerian Navy Ship, (NNS Delta), over claims to have discovered over forty illegal refineries in Jones Creek, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State,  just as they called on the Federal Government to investigate the activities of the Joint Task Force code named Operation Delta Safe.

Some of the activist who spoke separately to newsmen at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,Warri Correspondents’ Chapel decried the
persistent operations of illegal oil bunkers even when there is heavy presence of security agencies in the Niger Delta Creeks, noting that those involved in the illicit business will not be successful if there was no connivance with the military.

One of the Activist, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, regretted that the illegal business was going unhindered under the watchful eyes of the JTF and other security agencies that dots all the nooks and crannies of the creeks of the Niger Delta, adding that the boats conveying illegally refined products passes the front of house boats of the military stationed to check crime on water ways.

“My brother Jones Creek is under my teritor. Kokodiagbene owns Jones Creek as a community. I can authoritatively tell you as the Chairman of Kokodiagbene Community that those illegal oil bunker which the Navy pretends to have discovered, over 60% of them are owned by the same security agents that is one.”

“Secondly, you will agree with me that when you get to Jones Creek, there are JTF House Boats, can you get me? We have the JTF for NPDC, we have the JTF for NECONDE and we have the JTF for Jones Creek Flow Station…..The JTF, some individuals within the JTF, Navy, NCSDC, all are involved in this illegal bunkering,” Comrade Mulade stated.

Mulade who is also the Coordinator for the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ),  “Let me tell you what happened two weeks ago, NSCDC, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp, whether they are genuine, whether they are fake, went there to raid the place. How did they raid the place, they went and told them that they want to destroy the facilities, the owners of the facilities settled them and they collected monies running into millions of naira
and they left. When the JTF got to know about the incident, they were very angry and told the people anytime NCSDC comes here, come and tell us we will deal with them that this is not their teritory.”

While saying say that without the involvement of JTF,  no illegal bunkering will thrive in the Niger Delta not only in Jones Creek, he added that JTF being a body made uo of different security agencies, needed to be investigated by the Federal Government if the war against oil theft will be won in the Niger Delta.

He stated that some members of the community have become targets of
the JTF and even some of their own people involved in the illicit business for daring to fight and speak up against the destruction of the ecosystem and the entire environments.

The President of Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, Comrade Austin Ozobo also accused the military particularly the Navy of connivance in the activities of illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, noting that it will be difficult to stop illegal oil bunkering in the region, as the illegal business has made most military men rich.

Ozobo also said that the military condemns the illegal business in the public and promotes same behind. He therefore, charged the military to rise up to the occasion and go after the sponsors of the illegal business, get them arrested and prosecuted instead of hunting for their errand boys who assist them in the business.

Ozobo also called on the Federal Government to investigate and unravel those behind illegal bunkering.”If the military is serious, they can stop it. They should set up a proper monitoring team to see that they don’t get involve in such illicit activities. That is when they can stop it.