Oil Theft: NSCDC Uncovers 10 Illegal Refineries, Arrests 5 Suspects in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have uncovered 10 illegal oil bunkering sites in a forest at Odagwa community, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.

A few weeks ago, the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Jamal Abdussalam, had led a team to a different section of the same community where so many illegally constructed oil reservoirs were uncovered.

However, during a visit to the sites yesterday by the officials of Rivers State Command of the NSCDC, five suspects were arrested at the scene of crime.

Speaking with journalists at the illegal oil sites in Odagwa, the spokesperson of the NSCDC, Rivers,  Olufemi Ayodele said 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, illegal dealings in petroleum products amongst others across the country.

Olufemi reiterated that the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi had ordered a strong fight against every acts of economic sabotage, stressing that suspects arrested would face the full wrath of the law irrespective of their sponsors.

He continued that the CG had also given a marching order to the Special Intelligence Squad (SIS) of the Corps, 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 five suspects were caught in the act of illegally refining of crude oil.

“While conducting an operational tour across the large thick forest about 10 different cooking pots of 50,000 litres capacity were seen with one big pumping machine, receiver tanks, 25 rubber hoses used for pumping crude oil and many long galvanised pipes with litres of crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil stored in six very large reservoirs and other 20 smaller reservoirs dug in the ground”, Olufemi revealed.

The NSCDC spokesperson who disclosed the names of the arrested suspects to include; Favour Chukwu (29), Desmond Umeh (25), Godwin Amos (22), Bineace Galion (38) and Goodnews David (23), revealed that they been handed over to the Rivers State Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Commandant of NSCDC, Basil Igwebueze has condemned the unrepentant act of persons who tapped into the oil well head of Heirs Energies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) located around Imo River 2 Oil and Gas field at Odagwa in Etche, through different channels.

Igwebueze said the yet to be identified suspects inserted their galvanised pipes and syphoned crude oil while processing same within the premises.

He thanked the CG for the commissioning of the Special Intelligence Squad which he said have been working relentlessly across the states of the federation to combat the menace of illegal dealings in petroleum products, crude oil theft, 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 a renewed vigour even as we work in synergy with sisters security agencies to salvage the nation’s economy from saboteurs,” he added.

The NSCDC commandant reassured that thorough investigation had commenced to unravel those behind the scene, saying that all suspects arrested in connection with the act of vandalism and crude oil theft would be charged to court.