The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has said that it arrested two suspected crude oil thieves over alleged involvement in pipeline vandalism and illegal oil refinery operations in Rivers State.
The NSCDC spokesperson, CSC Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
Afolabi explained that the suspects were arrested by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad after an intelligence tip-off by well-meaning Nigerians.
He listed items recovered from the suspects to include one motorcycle, eight illegal refineries, also known as cooking pots, situated at different locations, a welding tongue, and a bottle of crude oil.
The Corps also recovered from them a list containing the names of accomplices and a multinational oil company’s truck line points.
He then stressed that the seized illegal refineries were destroyed due to their inability to be moved.
The statement revealed further that upon interrogation of the suspects, the alleged vandals confessed to having been on their way to refine crude oil illegally obtained from vandalising an oil pipeline belonging to a multinational oil company.
He said that the suspects mentioned the names of five other accomplices who are currently at large.
Afolabi said that the CG’s SIS was making efforts to ensure the other suspects were arrested and brought in for further interrogation and investigation, after which they would be charged in court.
He affirmed NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Audi’s commitment and resolute readiness to eradicate the nefarious activities of crude oil theft, illegal dealings in petroleum products and oil pipeline vandalism.
