JTF denies involvement in oil theft

Authorities of the Joint Task Force, codenamed 'Operation Pulo Shield' in the Niger Delta, have denied any form of complicity in the illegal oil bunkering along the coast of the South-South.
Apparently reacting to recent newspaper reports which claimed that three main groups comprising civilians, top military brass and foreigners were behind the rising upsurge in oil theft, the JTF contended that none of its rank and file was involved in oil bunkering.
In a statement issued by its media coordinator, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, a copy of which was obtained by the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, JTF said, "inasmuch as we may not be privy to the source of this claim, our concern is that this insinuation is grossly erroneous."
According to the statement, "these unsubstantiated insinuations are coming at a time when the Defence Headquarters has intensified the fight against illegal oil bunkering and the Federal Government through its Ministry of Petroleum Resources has declared that there is a positive growth in oil production in Nigeria."
While describing the claim as unfounded and baseless, the JTF said it was clear that the publication was a campaign of calumny by those whose horses had been gored by its operational activities in the Niger Delta, stressing that, "we have been accused of complicity by this set of criminals and yet, we recently arrested an oil thief whose two vessels were laden with 600,000 metric tonnes of crude oil, even when he attempted to bribe a senior officer of the JTF with $30,000 dollars, which the officer rejected and immediately ordered his arrest."
"On the whole, in the third quarter of the year, over 927 illegal refineries have been brought to complete extinction, 21 vessels, 86 barges, 293 Cotonou boats and surface tanks with total capacity of 17,515,320 litres of products have been destroyed by our operatives. 86 suspects have so far been apprehended and handed over to appropriate prosecuting authorities," the statement added