Army uncovers 40 illegal oil wells in Rivers community

Army uncovers 40 illegal oil wells in Rivers community

The Nigerian Army has discovered 40 crude oil wells being operated illegally in Rumuekpe community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The uncovered wells about 40 feet deep were discovered on Wednesday, February 28, during a sweep-and-clear operation on the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline, led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Maj.-Gen. Jamal Abdussalam.
Abdussalam described the discovery as an eye-opener for the army in the war against oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.

He said oil thieves in the area invented a technique of digging deep into the ground to reach the crude oil deposits.

He said, “In this area, our troops have discovered more than 40 dugouts, and these dugouts are not meant to access pipelines.

“hey are dug out directly into the ground like well and surprisingly have access to crude oil. This is the first time I’ve seen this type of thing.

“You can see all around us are pits and very deep. You will need ladders to have access into it, and at the bottom is crude oil. So, they are just fetching crude just like water from a well.

“This is very sad and with this, we have discovered a new dimension to oil theft; it is entirely a new dimension.

“This is not an issue of pipeline vandalism, this one is digging directly into the ground and having access to these resources.”