Troops recover N158bn, destroy 5,840 refining sites in 8 yrs- Defense minister

The Federal Government says troops of the Nigerian armed forces carrying out various operations in the Niger Delta region have recovered crude oil products from oil thieves worth over N158 billion.

Bashir Magashi, minister of defense, who disclosed this on Monday, said troops also discovered and deactivated a total of 5,840 illegal refining sites in the region since 2015.

Magashi spoke at the 25th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari scorecard (2015-2023) organised by the ministry of information and culture in Abuja. He explained that over six million barrels of crude oil, 1.2 billion litres of diesel, 24 million litres of kerosene and about three million litres of petrol had been seized from oil thieves within the period.

Magashi said the Buhari’s administration has recorded tremendous achievements through policies and programmes aimed at addressing the challenges of the country.

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These policies, according to the minister, resulted in significant improvement in security, degradation of insurgents and bandits, and considerably curtailed crude oil theft.

The minister, while noting that 15 local government areas in the northeast were previously under control of Boko Haram, however, informed that no territory is currently under the control of any terrorist group.

Speaking on procurement of military platforms, Magashi said the Nigerian Navy (NN) procured 415 platforms since the inception of the present administration.

He added that in the coming months, the NN would take delivery of two by 76m endurance offshore patrol vessels, two by 28m fast patrol craft, and 40 by 9m fast patrol boats and 80 flat bottom boats.

Magashi further said 38 brand new aircraft to boost training and the combat readiness of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had been acquired since 2015. He listed the newly acquired aircraft included 10 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, five Mi-35M helicopter gunships and two Bell 412 helicopters.

Others, according to him are: four Agusta 109 Power attack helicopters, two MI-171E helicopters, three JF-17 Thunder multi- role fighter aircraft and more recently 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft in addition to a number of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs).