Operatives attached to the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad of the Rivers State Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested three suspects indulging in illegal crude oil refining at Odagwa community, Etche local government area of the State.
NSCDC Spokesperson, Superintendent Olufemi Ayodele, said the operational tour across the massive forest took CG’s SIS and the media team 4 hours walk sighting the illegal siphoning of crude oil.
Ayodele, noted that the Commandant General Special Intelligence Squad swung into action and arrested 3 suspects while others took to their heels maneuvering the forest due to the terrain
He said: “Acting on the marching order by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, who emphasized the need to step up the operational and intelligence mechanism in the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure across the nation; the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has uncovered and dismantled another massive illegal bunkering site in Odagwa community, Etche local government area of Rivers State.”
He stated that the NSCDC Commadant General who has an unwavering determination in waging continuous war against illegal dealings in petroleum products, oil theft, vandalism of oil pipelines and all forms of economic sabotage has within a short period, the sqaud dismantled over 350 illegal bunkering site in the Niger Delta area while hundreds of suspects have been arrested and prosecuted in the court of competent jurisdiction.
He said a large multinational’s manifold was invaded through a broken fence, and large industrial hoses were used to siphon crude oil and transmitted through numerous metal galvanized pipes to cooking pots and further stored in reservoirs for onward loading to would be buyers.
“Having walked through this thick forest, you have practically seen how the manifold and oil well head were vandalized by unscrupulous elements, they tapped into the source and buried the hoses and pipes underground, waiting for the multinationals to pump the crude, immediately the pumping starts they commence their nefarious operations through illegal local refining of crude to derive Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), DPK and other products.”
He said the fight against illegal bunkering is a strategic war that must be fought with collective will and consciousness, especially with the fact that such acts causes environmental degradation, polliution and health hazard.
