According to an article on AFP , 24 people have been arrested today in response to the discovery of illegal oil refineries found in their position, some even located within their homes. These Refineries are abundant in the oil-rich River States. Just last year the JTF (Joint Task Force) shut down just above 1000 of these illegal refineries.
These 24 Nigerians have been handed over to the EFCC or Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution.
The danger of these crude oil refineries lies in their method of refining oil. Outdated and dangerous, these refineries produce oil that's been reported to cause engine malfunctions when used in conjunction with automobiles. \
The staggering fact that over a 1,000 of these refineries have been shut down in the last year speaks for itself when related to Nigeria's main source of income. Not only does this method exploit the local eco-system it hurt's Nigeria's economy as a whole. How does a country expect to prosper when even it's main economic resource is being abused and exploited by the people? With the dependency on petroleum and the numerous illegal refineries plaguing the River States constantly offering lower prices than the larger oil corporations, Oil may have a reduced affect on Nigeria's economy and if oil does indeed fall, where will Nigeria turn to for it's income? This again shows how a country must move past a single source of income if it wishes to democratize or improve the standing of living in general.
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