he Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, has said it has arrested five persons and destroyed at least 21 illegal oil bunkering sites in the region.

The Coordinator, of the JTF’s Joint Media Campaign Centre, Lt. Col. Ado Isa, said in a statement on Wednesday that the arrests and illegal refineries covered operations in Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states.

Giving insight into the operations, the JTF spokesman said the anti-illegal oil bunkering squad of the Sector 1 of the operatives deployed in Jones and Ajaosolo creeks in Warri North and South of Delta discovered and destroyed 10 illegal oil bunkering sites.

He said at the sites, oil thieves operated with four large boats, seven surface tanks and 34 metal tanks filled with illegally refined diesel.

Other items recovered from the sites, according to Isa, comprised a pumping machine, 20 cooking pots and plastic tanks filled with stolen crude oil.

He said though no suspect was found on the sites, the JTF destroyed the sites along with the items found.

The spokesman said two suspected gun runners, Amos Akpeleko and James Eshhawumi, were arrested by operatives of JTF at Adagbarasa Community in Okpe area of Delta State.

He said a follow-up operation led to the arrest of a Mr. Johnson Omare at Orokpokpo in Ughelli North where two single barrelled guns and six cartridges were recovered.

He said the suspects and the weapons are currently in JTF custody.

He also said the troops, while on land patrol at Abudu-Agbor Road in Orhionmwon local government in Edo, arrested an illegal oil bunkering tanker loaded with illegally refined diesel.

Isa said the tanker’s occupants were arrested, stressing that the tanker and three suspects were in JTF custody.