NSCDC Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant Special Intelligence Squad operation in Rivers state.
NSCDC Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has made a major breakthrough in combating illegal oil bunkering activities in Rivers State. The squad uncovered a massive illegal oil refining operation at Odagwa Community in the Etche Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of five suspects.
During a press briefing, NSCDC Rivers Command Spokesperson, Superintendent Olufemi Ayodele, revealed that the successful discovery of over 10 illegal refineries with an estimated 500,000 liters of crude oil stored in about 50 illegally constructed reservoirs was made possible through credible intelligence gathering.
Ayodele emphasized the Corps’ unwavering commitment to fighting crude oil theft, illegal mining, and illegal dealings in petroleum products across the country, under the leadership of the Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi.
“The Commandant General has repeatedly stressed that all acts of economic sabotage will be combated relentlessly, and apprehended suspects will face the full wrath of the law, regardless of their sponsors,” Ayodele stated.
Acting on credible intelligence, the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad swung into action, leading to the discovery of the 10 illegal local refineries in a forest at Odagwa Community. Five suspects – Favour Chukwu (29), Desmond Umeh (25), Godwin Amos (22), Bineace Galion (38), and Goodnews David (23) – were caught in the act of illegally refining crude oil.
During an operational tour of the vast, heavily forested area, the squad found 10 different cooking pots with a capacity of 50,000 liters each, a large pumping machine, receiver tanks, 25 rubber hoses used for pumping crude oil, and numerous long galvanized pipes. Unquantified liters of crude oil and illegally refined automotive gas oil were stored in six large reservoirs and 20 smaller reservoirs dug into the ground.
The arrested suspects have been handed over to the Rivers State Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Rivers State Commandant Basil Igwebueze condemned the unrepentant actions of the unscrupulous individuals who tapped into the oil wellheads of Heirs Energies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), located around the Imo River 2 Oil and Gas field at Odagwa in Etche. Through various channels, they inserted galvanized pipes and siphoned crude oil, processing it on the premises without any regard for the law.
Igwebueze commended the Commandant General for commissioning the Special Intelligence Squad, which has been working tirelessly across the country to combat the menace of illegal dealings in petroleum products, crude oil theft, and vandalism of railway lines, among other economic crimes.
“The uncovering of this massive illegal oil bunkering site is a landmark achievement and a clear 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 vigor,” Igwebueze stated. “We will work in synergy with sister security agencies to salvage the nation’s economy from saboteurs.”
He assured that a thorough investigation has commenced to unravel those behind the scene, and all suspects arrested in connection with this act of vandalism and crude oil theft will be charged in a court of competent jurisdiction. Igwebueze vowed that the sponsors or cartels involved in this illicit operation would be trailed and brought to book without compromise.
The NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, CSC Babawale Afolabi, reiterated the Corps’ commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s critical infrastructure and natural resources from economic saboteurs, urging members of the public to support the effort by providing relevant information to the authorities.
OIL THEFT: NSCDC UNCOVERS MASSIVE ILLEGAL OIL BUNKERING SITES ARREST 5 SUSPECTS IN RIVERS STATE