Connect with us

News

Military uncovers 636 illegal refineries, intercepts 21m litres of crude oil

Published

on

 

The military has in the last five months uncovered and busted 636 illegal refining sites and intercepted 21.7 million litres of crude oil valued at N54bn.

 

The figures were collated from press releases by the military on the activities of troops against oil thieves between August 3 and December 1.

 

Recall that President Bola Tinubu met with service chiefs in June and gave them a marching order to end oil theft in the country, in order to shore up the country’s revenues.

 

Since then, there has been a heightened military onslaught against oil thieves, particularly in the South-South.

 

The data analysis showed that no fewer than 610 suspected oil thieves were nabbed within the five months under review. Also, a total of 670 boats used to convey stolen crude oil and its products were impounded by the military.

 

According to the military, on August 3, 36 illegal refining sites, 310,700 litres of stolen crude oil and seven suspected oil theft were arrested along with 32 wooden boats.

READ  Good morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: P’Harcourt refinery begins test-run, Rivers, 11 others get supply soon

 

On August 11, 39 illegal refining sites were discovered; 1,247,700 litres of stolen crude oil valued at N607,346,75 were recovered and 17 suspected oil thieves were arrested.

 

Military operations on August 25 led to the arrest of 22 suspected oil thieves and the recovery of 682,400 litres of stolen crude oil valued at N414,396.250.

 

On August 31, the military busted 34 active illegal refining sites, recovered 569,400 litres of stolen crude oil, valued at N765,863,000 and arrested 16 suspects along with 36 boats.

 

On September 7, the military intercepted 191 suspected oil thieves and recovered 6,652,250 litres of stolen crude oil valued at N4bn.

 

On September 14, the military uncovered 89 illegal refining sites, recovered 1,205,950 litres of stolen crude oil estimated at N1,011,851,250 and arrested 45 suspects.

 

In addition, during operations conducted on September 22, troops recovered 496,250 litres of stolen crude oil worth N946,387,570.00 and arrested seven suspects with 16 boats.

READ  Fayose, candidates, others shun Atiku’s rally in Ekiti

 

On September 28, troops in the Niger Delta region discovered 34 illegal refining sites, recovered 696,250 litres of stolen crude oil valued at N388,469,650.00 and arrested 22 suspects with 21 boats.

 

On October 26, the military uncovered 53 illegal refining sites, recovered 983,350 litres of stolen crude oil valued at N968m and arrested 19 suspects with 66 boats.

 

On November 17, troops discovered 49 refining sites, recovered 151,850 litres of stolen crude oil estimated at N128m and arrested 49 suspected oil thieves.

 

Troops destroyed 50 illegal refining sites, recovered 578,900 litres of crude oil valued at N1bn and arrested 49 suspects with 31 boats on November 23.

 

Also, On December 1, troops destroyed 51 illegal refining sites, recovered 267,700 litres of crude oil estimated at N668m and arrested 58 oil thieves with 25 boats.

 

A security expert, Oladele Fajana, urged the military not to rest on their laurels, adding that the activities of oil thieves had seriously impacted the economy of the country negatively.

READ  How N25bn Refund Pitches Ubah Against Governor Obiano

 

“Their arrests and recoveries are quite impressive. They must do more because the activities of oil thieves are inimical to the nation’s economy,” he said.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Sierra Leone energy minister resigns over electricity crisis

Published

on

By

 

 Sierra Leone’s minister of energy, Kanja Sesay, has resigned after weeks of electricity crisis in the West African nation.

 

According to BBC, in his resignation letter on Friday, Sesay said he took full responsibility for the crisis.

 

In a statement, the government said the energy ministry has been placed under the direct supervision of President Julius Maada Bio, who will be assisted by two other officials.

 

Sesay’s resignation came hours after the government paid $18.5 million to two power providers, Turkish Karpowership and Transco-CLSG group.

 

Sierra Leone owed the two producers $40 million.

 

After two months of outages, power was restored in Freetown after the payments were announced.

 

Since mid-April, Freetown and the cities of Bo, Kenema and Koidu have experienced multi-day stretches without electricity.

 

Karpowership confirmed the payment in a statement.

 

“We are pleased to confirm that the electricity supply has returned to full capacity in Freetown,” the statement reads.

READ  PDP crisis: Wike gives conditions for possible reconciliation, says Nigeria in dire need of unity, justice and equity

 

The company has been supplying electricity to Sierra Leone since 2018 from a floating offshore unit, but it had reduced its capacity from 65 megawatts to just five in recent months due to payment issues.

 

It had previously cut supplies to Sierra Leone in September over unpaid bills.

 

In October, it briefly cut power to Guinea-Bissau, saying it had been left with no option “following a protracted period of non-payment”.

 

Continue Reading

News

American School refunds $760,000 of Yahaya Bello’s children fees to EFCC

Published

on

By

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confirmed the receipt of the refund of $760,000 paid as advanced school fees by a former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello for his children at the American International School, Abuja.

 

Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the EFCC, confirmed the development to The Post on Saturday.

 

“The school has refunded the entire $ 760, 000 to the EFCC’s recovery account,” he said.

 

Earlier, the American International School of Abuja had asked the EFCC to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the former governor.

 

Bello allegedly paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.

 

The children are in Grade Levels 2 to 8 at the school.

 

On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

READ  Barred: JAMB bars Anambra pupil from writing UTME for 3 years

 

While the operatives were at the house, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.

 

In a letter addressed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date.”

 

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

 

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

 

It added, “Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 in tuition and other fees have been deposited into our bank account.

 

We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84.

READ  Newspapers Headlines: Military warns politicians against use of personnel, uniforms

 

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

 

The school said it would draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there were any further deposits by the Bello family.

In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said, “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School.”

 

The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, had earlier revealed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.
Olukoyede revealed this during an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

 

He said, “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.

READ  Tinubu promises to form government of national unity, competence

 

“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”

Continue Reading

News

Good Morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: Military commander killed in ambush by bandits in Katsina

Published

on

By

 

1. Military commander of an army camp located at Sabon Garin Dan’Ali, in Danmusa local government area of Katsina state has been killed in an ambush. Sources said the incident happened Thursday evening and the corpse of the deceased, a major in the army, was deposited at a hospital in Katsina.

 

2. Movement would be restricted for the duration of today’s local government election in Oyo State, the State Government announced on Friday evening. The restriction will help officials of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, to conduct the poll without hindrance.

 

3. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, were among the dignitaries who attended the wedding fatiha of the children of emirs of Kano and Bichi, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero, on Saturday.

READ  Wike reveals identities of Police DPO, other VIPs operating illegal refineries in Rivers

 

4. President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND. This is contained in a statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, on Friday.

 

5. Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, on Friday, urged his predecessors including Chief Samuel Ortom, to refrain from interfering in his administration, warning that he would not allow anyone to destabilise his government. Alia while briefing journalists on his return from the USA, Friday morning, said the past governors have had their own term.

 

6. The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has said the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, led government in Kano State is behind the various protests against him in Abuja. Ganduje in a statement by his aide, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, alleged that the Kano government had been hiring protesters from the streets, mostly Kwankwasiyya members, some of whom are from the North Central geo-political zone to demand his resignation.

READ  EASTER: Catholic Bishops decry 'horrible state of insecurity, despair'

 

7. The American International School of Abuja has paid $760,910.84 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from the $845,852 school fees allegedly deposited by former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello in respect of five of his children in the school.

 

8. Bandits have attacked the palace of the Emir of Zurmi, Alhaji Bello Muhammad Bunu, killing three people and abducting some residents of the town. The bandits, who stormed the town around 10pm on Wednesday, according to locals, also attacked the residence of the former Military Administrator of Nasarawa State, Colonel Bala Muhammad Mande (rtd).

 

9. The Nigeria Correctional Service has stepped up efforts to track down and recapture escaped inmates of the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, Niger State. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday, said the government would relocate a lot of correctional centres to create better infrastructure and security.

 

10. Men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, assigned to tackle currency mutilation, dollarisation of the economy, and forex malpractice, have arrested 34 suspected currency speculators accused of foreign exchange fraud. This was made known in a statement shared on the commission’s website on Friday.

READ  Residents pay N12million to rescue 26 kidnapped people in Zamfara

Continue Reading

Trending News