Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 65 Battalion have dismantled a suspected illegal bunkering site in the Orile area of Lagos State, arresting six suspects and recovering petroleum products and vehicles allegedly used for the illicit operation. This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army……
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 65 Battalion have dismantled a suspected illegal bunkering site in the Orile area of Lagos State, arresting six suspects and recovering petroleum products and vehicles allegedly used for the illicit operation.
This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out on July 16 following credible intelligence on the activities of suspected economic saboteurs operating within the Orile General Area.
The troops were said to have launched a targeted raid on the location, leading to the arrest of six suspects believed to be involved in illegal bunkering activities.
During the operation, the soldiers recovered four drums, two of which contained suspected illegally refined petroleum products.
They also recovered a white Ford bus and a tanker suspected to have been used to facilitate the illegal operation.
The statement said the suspects and all recovered exhibits were handed over to the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) by the Commanding Officer of the 65 Battalion, Lt. Col. S. Adeojo, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Commending the troops, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, praised their professionalism and prompt response.
According to the statement, the GOC said the successful operation “reflects the Division’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding critical national assets and denying criminal elements the freedom to operate within the 81 Division Area of Responsibility.”
Babalola urged the troops to sustain the tempo of ongoing operations against economic sabotage and other criminal activities.
He also appealed to members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible intelligence to enhance efforts at protecting critical national infrastructure.
