In furtherance of the Rivers State Government’s directive to track down and report all artisanal refineries and their operators in the state, the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council has vowed to relentlessly identify, unravel and prosecute operators of artisanal refineries in the area.
The council Chairman, Barrister George Ariolu, who spoke to newsmen in Rumuosi, last Monday, hinted that his administration would continue to partner security agencies in the war against operators of illegal petroleum refineries and their sponsors.
The chairman, following an intelligence report and surveillance, last Monday, had stormed two artisanal refineries and repositories on Salvation Street and Rahi Avenue in Rumuosi, respectively.
“What you are seeing today is still in line with our effort to implement instructions of Governor Nyesom Wike. We have started, today, and we came here to Rumuosi through an intelligence report that we received.
“The few people we saw here had to jump the fence and ran away.If they are doing something that is not illegal, why would they run away?” Arioluasked.
He added, “We have discovered all these tanks, so many of them filled with crude oil and ‘Kpo fire’ kerosene. I don’t know what they do here, so we suspect that this is another place where the bunkering business is thriving, and that is why we are here.
“We are waiting for the DPO of this area to officially hand over the premises, and then, give the necessary information to the governor to take further action.
“But from what we have seen here, this is still part of where these illegal businesses are being carried out in the midst of where people leave, funny enough. So, it is still part of our responsibility in trying to unravel points and premises where this illegal bunkering and artisanal crude oil refining is taking place.
“It is not in our power to prosecute.We don’t have such legal powers to do so. What we have promised our people is that we will continue to unravel, my team and committee set up will not just end within the 48 hours, we will continue to identify and handover the persons and sites to the state government.”
Ariolu, during a visit to a repository on RahiAvenue adjacent to Salvation Street, also in Rumuosi, commended the surveillance and intelligence team for their discovery and commitment to the fight against illegal bunkering activities in the state.
The chairman while condemning the owner of the facility for abating such illicit act, also discovered large amount of drums containing several chemicals used for illegal petroleum refining which are harmful and injurious to human health.
He added that the separation of the market from the producers would create a natural disconnection between those refining in the creeks and marketers from the upland.

By: Nelson Chukwudi