NSCDC Nabs Nine Suspected Oil Thieves at Illegal Refinery on Rivers-Abia Border
By Matthew Eloyi
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended nine individuals suspected of oil theft at an illegal refinery located in a forested area between Rivers and Abia states.
This development was disclosed in a statement by NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, on Monday in Abuja.
Afolabi noted that the Corps’ dedication to combating illegal bunkering led the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CGsSIS) to conduct intelligence surveillance at the site, resulting in successful arrests.
“We apprehended nine suspects caught in the act of illegally refining stolen crude extracted from a vandalized oil wellhead. We also discovered an ongoing construction of a local refinery with the capacity to produce 60,000 litres of crude at once. Visibly at the massive illegal bunkering, we noticed large hoses and galvanized metal pipes laid to transfer stolen crude across the processing channels,” he stated.
The suspects arrested include Oghene Wede, 32, Moses James, 25, Chidi Nwosu, 53, Samuel John, 24, Emmanuel Paul, 20, Oghenevo Nwebi, 43, Martina Whinnypeter, 38, Nwabuchi Nwogu, 41, and David Okere, 20.
Interrogation and further investigation of the suspects have commenced, and they will be charged in court subsequently, according to Afolabi.
He added that the massive site contained over 15 modular ovens, four fabricated reservoirs, and 30 pits dug out to store processed Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). Recovered exhibits include an RWD 5.0 GFE-6500 power generating set, two yellow pumping machines, metal and plastic buckets, cutlasses, a saw, mats, a welding machine, galvanized metal pipes, various heavy-duty hoses, and AGO illegally processed in cooking ovens.