The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) reveals it has apprehended nine suspected oil thieves at an “illegal refinery” in a forest boundary between Rivers and Abia states.
In a statement made public on Monday, Babawale Afolabi, the spokesperson of NSCDC, said the site was discovered by the commandant-general’s special intelligence squad (CGsSIS).
He also said the success of the operation was as a result of the intelligence surveillance.
“We apprehended nine suspects caught in the act of illegally refining stolen crude extracted from a vandalized oil well head,” the statement reads.
“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.
“The suspects arrested are; Oghene Wede (M) 32 years, Moses James (M) 25 years, Chidi Nwosu (M) 53 years, Samuel John (M) 24 years.
“Others are Emmanuel Paul (M) 20 years, Oghenevo Nwebi (M) 43 years, Martina Whinnypeter (F) 38 years, Nwabuchi Nwogu (M) 41 years and David Okere (M) 20 years.
“Exhibits recovered are: RWD 5.0 GFE-6500 power generating set, two yellow colour pumping machines, metal and plastic buckets, cutlasses, saw, mats, welding machine, galvanized metal pipes, different heavy-duty hoses, automotive gas oil (AGO) illegally processed in cooking ovens.”
Afolabi explained that the suspects will be charged to court when investigation is concluded.
On May 19, the NSCDC announced that it destroyed an illegal refinery with more than 100,000 litres of crude oil in Adobi settlement, Etche LGA, Rivers state.