By Palma Ileye
In a milestone achievement premised on the renewed vigour and determination to continuously wage war against crude oil theft nationwide; the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Commandant General Special Intelligence Squad has foiled the activities of oil thieves who invaded and vandalized installed well-heads, 26 Manifold at Well 5 Road, Owaza Ukwa, Abia State.
Relying on the pepertrators’ mode of operations; the CG’s SIS Commander, Deputy Commandant; Apollos Dandaura said the squad acted on credible Intelligence that some economic saboteurs had vandalized an installed well-head and illegally connected industrial hoses syphoning the crude oil and processing it locally.
In a press release issued by the Corps PRO, CSC Afolabi Babawale stated that the Operatives upon arrival at the crime scene discovered an ongoing large-scale operation of the illegal refinery.
“Our Operatives swung into action and upon our arrival at the crime scene, we discovered an ongoing large-scale operation of the illegal refinery where the suspects connected their hoses to syphon crude oil and stored in a concrete surface reservoir which is later loaded into cellophane bags and loaded into Vehicles on stand by for onward distribution to would-be buyers.
“The illegal bunkering operations took place in a large environment and as we advanced the suspects took to their heels upon sighting our men leaving behind a White Coloured FIAT DUCATO 2.8 JTD Model J5 Boxer Bus and a 1998 model red Coloured Toyota Camry laden with over 2000 litres of already siphoned petroleum products,” Apollos said.
The CG’s SIS Commander hinted that apart from the 2 Vehicles with number plates NWA- 614XA (with the inscription Enugu State Transport Company Limited) and LND- 495 DM; the following have been marked as exhibits:
a very long 4-inch size Industrial hose and large quantities of valves.
He further assured the public of relentless war against all acts of economic sabotage noting that the statutory mandate of the Corps in Safeguarding all critical national assets and infrastructure which cut across protection of oil pipelines, telecommunication equipment, and electric power installations amongst others would adequately be executed without compromise.