The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Antivandal Squad in Rivers State have uncovered an illegal crude oil refining site in Adobi-Akwa settlement, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SC Olufemi Ayodele on Friday, operatives of the corps uncovered the site hidden deep in the forest following a tip off.
The Rivers State Commandant, Basil Igwebueze, who took newsmen across the thick forest which is about six to seven kilometers from the main town to inspect the site, said the suspects connected pipes to a wellbead belonging to a yet to be identified company and diverted the product to the illegal refinery.
Igwebueze who was represented by the Head of Antivandal Squad, CSC Peters Ibiso, disclosed that the suspected vandals connected their galvanized pipes to several cooking pots, where they heat up the crude to produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Igwebueze noted that the suspects upon sighting the security personnel, took to their heels and abandoned the site, adding that investigation had been launched.
“Upon receiving a tip off, the Antivandal operatives swung into action to uncover this illegal oil bunkering site, they were in this forest for two days having cordoned the area; unfortunately the perpetrators upon sighting our men took to their heels but investigation is still ongoing to effect the arrests of such defiant elements”.
The Antivandal Unit Head further narrated the operation techniques of the operators of local illegal refineries from the point of extraction of crude through vandalism of oil pipelines to cooking in various ovens where the content is subjected to high temperature and transmitted through pipes to reservoirs for storage and onward trans loading to buyers.
He hinted that the Command will not relent in the fight against illegal dealings in petroleum products and that the public should have more trust in the NSCDC by providing actionable intelligence that would enhance possible arrest of economic saboteurs in the State.
“Our commitment to continuously work in tandem with the prosecutorial mandate of the Corps in order to rid the State of economic saboteurs remains unchanged, we value our informants and most especially the intelligence driven tip off received from time to time.
“It is also our duty to ensure that our source of information are not disclosed so as to protect our informants, it is therefore our delight that the public will continue to have confidence and trust in us as we together protect the nation’s Critical National Assets and Infrastructure from daredevil vandals, He said”.
