Navy burns 40 illegal refineries in Warri

The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS) DELTA, on Tuesday set ablaze over 40 illegal refineries earlier uncovered in Jones Creek, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Commander, NNS DELTA, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, disclosed this to newsmen at the Warri Naval Command shortly after the operation.

Dewu said the seized crude oil had to be set ablaze to prevent the offenders from coming back to evacuate the product.

“Burning illegal refineries with the crude was our last option so that the people will not come back and evacuate them. However, they cannot even evacuate them because it is in a very large quantity.

“My concern and worry is the effect these illegal acts are causing on the environment. We are going to sustain this operation so that we will be able to stop all these illegal activities within the creeks in line with the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff,” he said.

“This will enable the people in the communities to live a normal life because as we speak, aquatic life has been destroyed because the environment is polluted,” the commander said.

The illegal refineries and over 200 tanks carrying over 10,000 litres each were uncovered by the Navy on February 9.