By Deborah Nnamdi
NIGERIA: The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered an illegal bunkering operation in the forest of Umuedeokwara Community, Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The Corps spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, in a statement on Tuesday, said the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad discovered it while conducting an operation to combat oil theft in the region.
The CG’s SIS Commander, Deputy Commandant Appolos Dandaura, revealed that the operation was predicated on intelligence inputs indicating the establishment of an illicit refinery on the site.
“The criminals were siphoning crude oil from international oil pipelines using constructed and galvanized iron pipes connected by inserted valves. The stolen oil was then kept in big tarpaulin reservoirs before being processed locally into vehicle petrol oil.”
“Our operations are intelligence-based and we value every piece of information and preserve the integrity of our informants. We swung into action, combed the entire forest, and discovered where the suspects were refining crude oil locally after storage in large trampoline reservoirs and further packaged them in cellophane bags and sacks.”
“The following exhibits were marked at the crime scene: about 20,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) stored in cellophane bags, large quantities of siphoned crude oil stored in tarpaulin reservoirs, different sizes of aluminium and plastic buckets, galvanized metallic fabricated pipes, heavy-duty industrial hoses and items of clothing belonging to the suspects,” Dandaura said.
Dandaura stated that the operation is consistent with the NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Audi’s directive to crack down on illicit bunkering activities and ensure that those suspects are apprehended and convicted.
