…As Army arrest 2 NSCDC officers, 5
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, the company responsible for protecting of key national assets such as crude oil pipelines in the Niger Delta region says it has uncovered a logistic company working as decoy for illegal bunkerers to syphon oil from the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Eleme, Rivers State.
Explaining the incident go journalist, PINL said the company, Igor Logistics Nigeria Limited which specialists in transporting precious stones such as glass sand, quartz and iron to China capitalized on the closeness of its office to a valve on the 28-inches TNP along the Ebubu new road by Eleme, Trailer Park, adjourning to the East – West Road to carryout the crime.
PINL said the crime was committed in conjunction with two officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, posted to the company, adding that the illegal activities was bursted on October 7, 2024 by personnel of the Gbenesolo Surveillance, a second layer local security outfit engaged by PINL which alerted their camp from the 29 Battalion Nigeria Army Ogale also in Eleme for swift response leading to the arrest of the NSCDC officers and five others.
Dr. Patrick Onogwu, Senior Manager, Security and Government, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, while conducting journalists round the scene of the incident said; “They just connected a 9-inch hose from which they load their trucks usually concealed in front of the weighing bridge of the company”.
“It is an operation that can only be detected by a careful monitoring by security agencies considering the busy activities of the company and the smart way the illegal bunkerers to concealed their operations”.
He told journalists how the illegal activities was uncovered and suspects arrested saying; “Five days ago, we got intelligence that they loaded three trucks from this compound. The trucks they loaded, they use 40-feet containers, built a tank right inside the container as a disguise such that once you see a container like that you think it’s carrying normal products and they use customs seal to seal the truck while they transport it to Akwa-Ibom state.
He said the thieves ran out of luck that night when they came for another loading adding: “They load like 4 times a week, so they brought in two trucks. Two 45,000 liters capacity trucks, Darf Model, loaded the first one and were on the second one when the supervisor for Gbenesolo the second layer surveillance company for PINL, who was on patrol perceived the odour of crude and raised the alarm.
“With that we quickly alerted our team from the Ogale camp, under the 29 Battalion, which responded and led by one Captain Chibok, they came and upon arrival, they met two officers from the Rivers State Command of the NSCDC”.
He added that the two officers were arrested including the manager of the company and other suspects.
Port Harcourt Spectator reports that the company has been sealed while investigation into the incident continues.
Also, a Joint Venture inspection has been conducted on the valve while remedial work has commenced on the line.
Reacting to the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Ayodeji Olufemi, said he was yet to get details of the matter.
Also, efforts to speak with officials of the company yielded no fruit at the time of this report.
