According to the Defence Headquarters, over 70 illegal refining stations have been found and shut down in the previous two weeks by Operation Delta Safe and other subsidiary operations' forces.
Major General Musa Danmadami, the director of defence media operations, said this on Thursday in Abuja.
He addressed at a biweekly news conference on the activities of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
In the course of operation Octopus Grip, the army allegedly found and demolished 57 illicit refinery sites in the states of Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.
In addition, he stated that two illegal bunkering camps, six illegal bunkering boats, 304 storage tanks, 172 cooking ovens, 12 dugout pits, five drums, and two reservoirs were all demolished.
He said the troops also recovered 34,547 barrels of stolen crude oil, 650,000 litres of diesel, 5,000 litres petrol, 10,000 litres of kerosine, seven pumping machines, seven vehicles, five motorcycles, one double barrel gun, among other items.
According to him, five pipeline vandals were arrested during the operations.
Danmadami said the troops of Operation Dakatar Da Barawo also discovered and destroyed 11 illegal refineries with 107 metal storage tanks and five wooden boats during the period.
He added that 58 dugout pits, 38 ovens, six fibre boats, 28 reservoirs, 15 jerrycans, two pumping machines, 20,000 barels of crude oil and 167,900 litres of diesel were also destroyed.
“Cumulatively, within the weeks under review, oil thieves were denied a total of 54,547 barrel of crude oil, 817, 900 litres of diesel, 5,000 litres of petrol and 10,000 litres of kerosene amounting to the sum of N2.4 billion,” he said.
The defence spokesman said the troops, in conjunction with operatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser, tracked and raided criminals’ location and arrested two Eastern Security Network kingpins at Oyigbo in Rivers State on October 31.
He said that troops recovered two Ak47 rifles, 285 rounds of 7.62mm special and 84 rounds 7.62mm NATO among other weapons.
In the South East, Danmadami said the troops and other security agencies had sustained efforts at tackling insecurity in the zone.
He said the troops also conducted anti-illegal bunkering operation at Ama-Hausa Arugu and Umuokabia Ugodo villages in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State during the period.
He added that the troops discovered and destroyed illegally bunkered oil in 79 sacks containing 50 litres AGO each, eight gallons of 25 litres, three nylons and three drums containing refined products among others.