The Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested four persons suspected to be illegally dealing in petroleum products.
The State Commandant of the corps, Muhammad Sanyinna, disclosed this Friday, while parading the suspects before newsmen in Umuahia.
Sanyinna said the arrest came on the heels of the command’s intensive operations geared toward ending pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering in the area.
He said that three of the suspects were arrested at Ubakala Junction on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
According to him, they were conveying 33,000 litres of bitumen in a truck, with Reg. No. KWL984XB (Kaduna), when they were arrested.
He said that the fourth suspect was also arrested at the same junction, while conveying 50,000 litres of Kerosene in a Mark truck, with Registration No. KTU 109XZ.
He revealed that the suspects were arrested Tuesday, September 6 by the command’s operatives, following a tip off.
Sanyinna said that the command also impounded a Toyota Camry car, with Reg. No. AH265PBR (Rivers), loaded with 800 litres of product, suspected to be adulterated diesel.
He said that the vehicle was intercepted at Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area after the driver abandoned it on sighting the corps operatives on a routine patrol.
He listed the names of the suspects as Adamu Mustapha (36), Isah Adamu (32), Anas Muhammed (22) and Chinedu Owen (44).
The state NSCDC boss said the suspects had no operational licence to deal in petroleum products.
He also said that their trucks had no haulage permit, while the products had no receipts covering them.
He said that investigation into the matter was ongoing to also arrest the owners of the products.
He said that the suspects would be charged to court at the end of the investigations.
Sanyinna thanked the Corps Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, for providing the enabling environment and logistics support for the command to succeed.
He said that the morale and spirit of the corps operatives had been on an upward trajectory, following the recent promotion of at least 5,000 personnel nationwide.
He appealed to residents of the oil-bearing communities to assist the command with useful and timely information to enable it to succeed in its fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Two suspects, who spoke on behalf of others, said they were hired by the owners of the products to convey them to different destinations.
In an interview with newsmen, Owen said that the product was transloaded into his truck in Aba for onward movement to Ohafia.
He said that the owner, known as Oga Don, paid N30,000 (N20,000 for him and N10,000 for his conductor) to transport the kerosene to Ohafia.
Also, Mohammed said they were conveying the bitumen from Port Harcourt to Kaduna before they were arrested.
They said that they had provided necessary information about the owners of the products to the command and urged it to go after them.