Emohua LG Boss Busts Three Illegal Refineries

The Chairman of Emohua Local Government of Rivers State, Dr Chidi Lloyd, last Thursday, led security personnel to destroy illegal oil bunkering sites in some communities in the council in continuation of the effort to end the menace of soot in the state.
The team led by Lloyd raided and destroyed three functional illegal petroleum refining sites in Rumuodogo–Odegu community.
The council chairman and his team also discovered a waterfront used as loading depot by illegal petroleum refiners in Oduoha-Emohua, where boats used to transport illegally refined petroleum products were intercepted and destroyed by the joint task force.
Lloyd, during the raid, effected the arrest of the youth leader of Oduoha community and two others for allegedly aiding oil bunkering activities in the community.
But he later released the three suspects to the paramount ruler of the community on personal recognition.
Meanwhile, Lloyd has offered N100,000 to anyone with reliable information that would lead to the discovery of any functional illegal petroleum refining site within the local government area.
Speaking with journalists, who joined him to discover the oil bunkering sites situated in a river bank between Rumuodogo community in Emohua LGA and Harry’s Town in Degema LGA, Lloyd assured that the government would ensure that any whistle-blower who provides reliable information to the task force was not disclosed to the perpetrators of illegal oil bunkering and the public, in order not to endanger their lives.
Acknowledging the appreciable progress recorded in the war against illegal oil bunkering activities in Rivers State, Lloyd commended Wike for championing the fight.
But he noted that the war requires the full involvement of the Federal Government, to complement the efforts of the governor of Rivers State, with a view to ending the ravaging soot pandemic in Rivers State.
He, however, warned that the government would not hesitate to confiscate any private property, including, buildings and land used for illegal oil bunkering activities within the local government area.
The council chairman further commended the effort of the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in the fight against oil bunkering activities, promising to continue to provide the necessary logistics to the security agencies as well as the local government vigilante services.

By: Nelson Chukwudi