War Against Economic Sabotage: NSCDC Uncovers Illegal Pipeline Connection Points In Rivers, Abia
In its relentless efforts to combat the menace of illegal dealings in petroleum products in the Niger Delta oil-rich regions, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has again warned that it will severely punish economic saboteurs.
In a statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer, NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, and made available to Channel Network Afrique, CNA, the Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said a relentless war has been waged against oil theft across the nation.
The NSCDC boss, while narrating the new strategies put in place by the corps to check vandals who have recently devised a covert means of operations to prevent security agencies from detecting their mischievous acts, said a high-level intelligent network is in place to check the criminals.
“We were prompted by an intelligence received while on intensive operational patrol across the Niger Delta; the CG’s Special Intelligence Squad swung into action and uncovered two illegal bunkering sites in different locations where illegal connections were made to syphone oil from Well Heads using very huge hoses laid and buried underground in a thick forest at Odagwa/Owaza, Riverside boundaries of Rivers/Abia State.
“Another site at Odagwa in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State where vandals tampered with valves of the manifold and syphoned crude at Imo River 2 is an oil and gas flow station operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Commission (NPDC)”.
“During the operations, we observed that the first local refining site had been earlier destroyed by the security agencies but was later rebuilt to contain over five locally fabricated ovens, drums, underground and calibrated plastic surface reservoirs with galvanised metal, and heavy-duty hoses and pipes.
“Some of the exhibits recovered are heavy-duty hoses, surface tanks filled with automotive gas oil (AGO), many drums and kegs, clothing, and personal effects, while the suspects are currently at large.
“Storming the second illegal refining site we arrested One (1) suspect named John Obinna, who was caught in the act, hinted from the statements volunteered by the suspect that his work at the site is loading and carrying crude and that other suspects who already took to their heels upon sighting our operatives were already on the verge of refining the crude oil.
“We also sighted a 20,000-litre trampoline surface reservoir where the major pipes were visibly connected.
“The following exhibits were further recovered: One (1) new yellow Robin EY 20 pumping machine, blue heavy-duty hoses, over 5,000 litres of locally refined petroleum products in cellophane bags and reservoirs, about 10,000 litres of AGO stored in a cooking oven, 2 shovels and spades, buckets, and 4 flash headlights.
“Let me at this point re-assure the public that the NSCDC remains committed to her statutory mandate as the lead agency in safeguarding all critical national assets and infrastructure across the nation.
“The Intelligence Department has commenced a thorough investigation into the matter, and the suspect in custody is currently assisting us in the ongoing investigation as the law takes its course,” the statement concluded.
