In its effort to rescue Nigeria’s economy from saboteurs, operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps have arrested five suspected oil thieves and took over the site in River State.
The Corps Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad uncovered the illegal oil bunkering site at Odagwa Community in Etche Local government Area of the State on Monday March 25, 2024.
A statement jointly signed by the National Public Relations officer, NSCDC, CSC Babawale Afolabi and
Nigerian Navy Nigerian Air Force Headquarters PRO, MR Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said over 10 illegal Refineries with an estimated 500,000 litres of Crude oil contained in about 50 illegally constructed Reservoirs.
The statement identified the criminal suspects which are being handover to NSCDC Rivers Command for deligent prosecution as
Favour Chukwu (M) 29 years, Desmond Umeh (M) 25 years, Godwin Amos (M) 22years, Bineace Galion (M) 38years and Goodnews David (M) 23 years.
The intelligence-led operation, according to the statement, assured that the fight against crude oil theft, illegal mining, illegal dealings in petroleum products amongst others across the Country.
According to the statement, “The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi mni, OFR has reiterated over time that all acts of economic sabotage would be fought to stand still as suspects arrested would face the full wrath of the law irrespective of their sponsors”
“In furtherance, the CG gave a marching order to the Special Intelligence Squad charging them to be more thorough and results oriented in their operations”
“Based on credible intelligence the CG’s SIS swung into action and uncovered 10 illegal local refineries in a forest located at Odagwa Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State where 5 suspects were caught in the act of illegally refining of crude oil”, the statement said.
Conducting an operational tour across the large thick forest, NSCDC operatives discoveries about 10 different cooking pots of 50,000 litres capacity were seen with 1 Big Pumping machine, Receiver Tanks, 25 rubber hoses used for pumping crude oil.
The security agents also recovered several long galvanized pipes with unqualified litres of crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil stored in 6 very large reservoirs and other 20 smaller reservoirs laid in the ground.
The statement also assured Nigerians that a thorough investigation has commenced to unravel sponsors of oil bunkering, vandalism and crude oil theft.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Commandant Basil Igwebueze has condemned the unrepentant act of unscrupulous elements who tapped into the Oil Well Head of Heirs Energies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) located around Imo River 2 Oil and Gas field at Odagwa in Etche, through different channels, inserted their galvanized pipes and syphoned crude oil while processing same within the premises without recourse.
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