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RIVERS: NSCDC UNCOVERS ENORMOUS ILLEGAL OIL BUNKERING SITES
…APPREHENDS FIVE SUSPECTS
By Faith Kordoo
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has uncovered a huge illegal oil bunkering site at Odagwa Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Parading the suspects before newsmen, the Rivers Command Spokesperson, Superintendent Olufemi Ayodele, hinted that the successful discovery of over 10 illegal Refineries with an estimated 500,000 litres of Crude oil contained in about 50 illegally constructed Reservoirs was based on credible intelligence.
He assured that the NSCDC will continue to work assiduously in the fight against crude oil theft, illegal mining, and illegal dealings in petroleum products, amongst others, across the country.
“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 crude oil, he stated”.
He further revealed that while conducting an operational tour across the large, thick forest, about 10 different cooking potswith a capacity with a capacity of 50,000 liters were seen, along with 1 big pumping machine, receiver tanks, 25 rubber hoses used for pumping crude oil, and many long galvanized pipes with unqualified litres of crude oil and illegally refined automotive gas oil stored in 6 very large reservoirs and the other 20 smaller reservoirs dug in the ground.
The names of the suspects arrested, who are now being handed over to the Rivers State Command for further investigation and possible prosecution, are:
Favour Chukwu (M) is 29 years old, Desmond Umeh (M) is 25 years old, Godwin Amos (M) is 22 years old, Bineace Galion (M) is 38 years old, and Goodnews David (M) is 23 years old.
On his part, Rivers State Commandant Basil Igwebueze 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.
He, however, thanked the Commandant General for the commissioning of the Special Intelligence Squad, which has been working relentlessly across the states of the federation to combat the menace of illegal dealings in petroleum products, crude oil theft, and vandalism of railway lines, amongst others.
“The uncovering of this massive illegal oil bunkering site is a landmark achievement and an indication that the NSCDC, as the lead agency in the protection of all critical national assets and infrastructure, will continue to combat crude oil theft with renewed vigour even as we work in synergy with sister security agencies to salvage the nation’s economy from saboteurs.”.
“Let me reassure you that a thorough investigation has commenced to unravel those behind the scene, while all suspects arrested in connection with this act of vandalism and crude oil theft would be charged to a court of competent jurisdiction, and their sponsors or cartels would be trailed and brought to book without compromise,” Igwebueze pledged.