The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, Rivers State Command, has vowed to fish out sponsors of illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalisation in the state.
The NSCDC state Commandant, Muktar Lawal, who spoke on Saturday after parading 13 suspected vandals in Port Harcourt, said it was necessary to get the sponsors of oil theft in order to eradicate the vice.
Lawal explained that investigation had begun to uncover the masterminds of the crimes and subsequently arrest them.
He called on residents of the state to desist from any act of economic sabotage.
“We are assuring you that we are going to get those who employed these suspects who have committed these dastardly acts and charge them to court.
“These arrests were made based on intelligence reports. Investigations are still going on and we are going to notify the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to come and verify whether these items belong to them or not,” Lawal added.
Apart from the 13 suspects that were apprehended by the command, 110 polythene bags filled with adulterated diesel, as well as six step-down electricity transformers and 13 drums of transformer oil, were recovered from the suspected vandals.
Lawal said, “On January 30, 2020, an open-body pick-up van with number plate, Bayelsa XB 325 KMR, conveying suspected illegally refined AGO stacked in about 110 cellophane bags was apprehended with three suspects at Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“On February 5, 2020, around 02.45am, a long truck conveying unquantifiable amount of suspected petroleum product with number plate, Yobe TO 234 YB, and three suspects were arrested at Igbo-Etche, Etche LGA of Rivers State.
“On February 7, at about 12.24am, an enclosed long truck with number plate, Lagos APP 06 XF, loaded with suspected vandalised electric facilities was intercepted along D-Line GRA, Port Harcourt City LGA and seven suspects were arrested with 13 drums of suspected transformer oil, five step-down transformers, six 200KVA transformers, two rolls of suspected transformer cables, two bags containing suspected bolts and 48 suspected fiber ladders used for vandalism.”
He, however, maintained that all the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigation.
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