By Nlewedum Emmanuel
By: Emmanuel Nlewedum
Commandant of the Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Muktar Lawal said the Corps has arrested thirty seven suspected oil thieves involved in illegal refining of petroleum products in different parts of the State.
Lawal stated this while parading the suspects in Port Harcourt over the weekend.
He said eight among the arrested suspects were fake naval officers arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Navy while on illegal escort duty.
He noted that the Command also impounded thirteen trucks and six other vehicles used by the oil thieves for operation and conveying the stolen and illegally refined products.
The Commandant said the latest arrests were made between 15th March and 12th April this year.
He said 18 drums containing suspected Automated Gas Oil (AGO), concealed in a waterproof bag and conveyed inside the trucks and vehicles were also impounded.
His words, “Today the command is parading thirty seven suspected oil thieves, thirteen trucks, eighteen drums containing suspected adulterated stolen petroleum products, one bus, five cars, one pumping machine, thirty seven pieces of suspected vandalized railway clips and four suspected railway slippers, a cylinder and a torchlight suspected to be used for act of vandalism.
“On the 9th of April, 2021, the NNS Pathfinder Naval Base, Rumuolumeni Port Harcourt handed over eight suspects to the command arrested for alleged Navy imposters and illegal escort duties onboard a security boat MV SANDUST.
“In the bid to discourage the floating of illegal dumps in the residential areas in the state, the command also destroyed two suspected illegal dumps”.
He said the arrested suspects were currently being investigated for possible prosecution.
Lawal however, restated the Corp’s commitment to protecting the nation’s critical assets and infrastructure in the state.
“The fight against vandalism along the rail tracks and all oil installations in Rivers State is still ongoing and will not stop until vandals stay off the critical national assets and infrastructure in the state”, he said.
