Over 112 illegal refineries have been discovered in the creeks of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The Chairman of the Council, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike said at the weekend that about 99 per cent of the cooking sites were located in one community called Ogbodo.
Revealing that the community was close to about 17 Shell lines, Nwanosike said the council would fight the menace to a logical conclusion.
He said: “We have identified over 112 cooking sites. About 99 per cent of them are located in one community called Ogbodo close to about 17 Shell lines. We are taking it head-on. There is no going back until all results are achieved. We will never allow it to happen again”.
It was gathered Governor Nyesom Wike, fulfilled his promise to provide financial assistance to local government chairmen to enable them destroy all illegal refineries within their domains.
The Governor at the weekend called on the Federal Government to fight illegal refineries and oil theft in a similar way it was waging war against terrorism.
Wike also urged traditional rulers in the state to force out operators of illegal refineries from their domains.
The Governor told the traditional rulers that those involved in illegal refineries were sabotaging the national economy.
He said: “I should think that the way federal government intends to fight insurgency, is the way they should fight illegal oil bunkering, because it is a sabotage on the national economy. Very big sabotage. It affects our own revenue.
“If we are supposed to produce 2 million barrels for example, we are now producing 1.2 million. And in that 1.2 million barrels, It affects Rivers state because we are not producing up to the number we are supposed to produce, and then we can’t get the money to do whatever you want us to do.”
The Governor also said illegal refineries activities constituted environmental hazard capable of causing cancer-related illnesses in the state.
He said his primary concern was to ensure that the health of residents of the State was not jeopardised.
