The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has foiled an illegal oil bunkering operation in Abia State, resulting in the seizure of two vehicles and about 50,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
The operation, carried out by the NSCDC Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS), targeted suspects who had vandalised installed well-heads at the 26 Manifold on Well 5 road in Owaza Ukwa, Abia State.
Acting on credible intelligence, the squad intercepted the economic saboteurs who had illegally connected industrial hoses to siphon crude oil for local processing.
On Friday, the NSCDC spokesman, Babawale Afolabi, said the operation was part of a nationwide effort to combat crude oil theft.
The CG’s SIS Commander, Apollos Dandaura, said “upon our arrival at the crime scene, we discovered an ongoing large-scale operation of the illegal refinery where the suspects connected their hoses to syphon crude oil and stored in a concrete surface reservoir which is later loaded into cellophane bags and loaded into Vehicles on stand by for onward distribution to would-be buyers.
“The illegal bunkering operations took place in a large environment and as we advanced the suspects took to their heels upon sighting our men leaving behind a White Coloured FIAT DUCATO 2.8 JTD Model J5 Boxer Bus and a 1998 model red Coloured Toyota Camry laden with over 2000 litres of already siphoned petroleum products”.
Other items recovered include 2 vehicles with number plates NWA- 614XA (with the inscription Enugu State Transport Company Limited) and LND- 495 DM as well as long 4-inch size Industrial hose and large quantities of valves.