Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have uncovered a warehouse allegedly used for storing stolen crude oil in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The corps said the crude oil is suspected to have been siphoned from vandalised pipelines and stored in GP tanks at the isolated facility. The quantity of the product recovered has yet to be determined.
Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Ihemnacho Umeado, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday, noting that the discovery followed several days of credible intelligence gathering.
According to the statement, operatives of the Anti-Vandal Unit carried out a swift raid on the location after confirming intelligence reports about the illegal operation.
“Operatives of the Anti-Vandal Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rivers State Command, have uncovered a vast isolated confinement situated in Igwuruta, in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, warehousing an unquantifiable quantity of substances suspected to be stolen crude oil from vandalised pipelines, stored in GP tanks,” the statement read.
The Rivers State Commandant of the corps, Dr. Joachin Okafor, who visited the site for an on-the-spot assessment, reiterated the agency’s zero tolerance for illegal bunkering and related economic sabotage.
Okafor vowed that the command under his leadership would intensify efforts to track down and apprehend those behind such activities, regardless of their status.
He also condemned the environmental degradation and threats to human health associated with pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, warning perpetrators to desist or face the full weight of the law.
The commandant further directed the Corps’ Intelligence Department to commence a comprehensive investigation to determine the source of the crude oil and identify those responsible, with a view to ensuring their arrest and prosecution.
