A joint team of the Nigerian Army and Navy on Monday uncovered 23 illegal bunkering sites in Anambra State and impounded equipment worth over N500m.
General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Olaniyi, said illegal bunkering amounted to economic sabotage.
He promised that the Army and other security agencies would work at ending it.
"I am short of words because what I saw here is very alarming and I make bold to say that this is at variance with the developmental agenda of Mr. President because where illegal bunkerers continue to sabotage our economy, it is very bad.
"We are going to take over the equipment, hand them over to the NSCDC after which both the equipments and the products will be destroyed," he said.
The GOC added that the Chiefs of Army and Naval Staff had concluded plans to increase surveillance on Nigerian waterways to reduce illegal oil bunkering in the country as well as increase security of lives and property.
Commander Naval Outpost, Onitsha, Captain Ahmed Abdulahi, said the operation was a joint operation between the Army and Navy, adding that the operation would continue until illegal bunkering was stopped.
