From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Soldiers of the 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Ohafia, attached to the 144 Battalion in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State have destroyed an illegal oil refinery in Ukwa East Local, near Aba.
The illegal refinery was reportedly operated by a syndicate that operate between Abia and Rivers states.
A military source who did not want to be quoted said no arrests were made as the hoodlums took to their heels when soldiers approached the area.
The source however confirmed that two L300 Mitsubishi buses used by the oil bunkerers were confiscated and subsequently destroyed.
Equally destroyed according to the source were waterproofs containing unrefined crude and the tanks used in the cooking of illegal crude oil stolen from the NNPC pipeline within the area.
The operation was a joint one between soldiers and operatives of the Department for State Security (DSS) in Owaza, Ukwa West LGA.
‘We got a hint about the activities of an illegal crude oil syndicate operating between Abia and Rivers state.
‘From our intelligence, we tracked them to the Nkali community in Rivers State where we discovered their illegal refining camp,’ the source said.