The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has arrested three suspects for vandalism of oil pipeline, oil theft and illegal dealings in petroleum product at Umuodo, Umuajuloke Community in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State.
While briefing the Corps correspondents on Sunday, July 14, 2024, the CG’s SIS Commander, DC Apollo Dandaura relayed that the arrest was made possible through sustained Intelligence that illegal oil refinery was sited at the crime scene where upon swinging into action a large quantity of illegally refined petroleum products suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were discovered.
“Based on credible Intelligence we swung into action and arrested 3 suspects at the crime scene with large quantities of illegally refined AGO already stored inside metallic drums while others were inside cellophane bags,” Dandaura said in a statement signed by CSC Babawale Afolabi, Public Relations Officer at the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja.
“The names of the arrested suspects are: Happiness Nwankwo (F) 45years who claimed to be an indigene of Omuma in Rivers State, Nnoma Nwankwo (F) 30years also from Rivers State and Favour Amadi (F) from Omuma in the same Rivers State.
“Some exhibits recovered at the point of arrest are: numerous drum ovens containing stolen and syphoned crude oil undergoing processing, Industrial hoses used to tap into well-heads to syphon crude oil, large quantities of stolen crude oil stored inside cellophane bags and kegs, Many metal and plastic buckets, Wheel barrows, Shovels and Galvanized metal pipes.”
The CG SIS Commander hinted that Investigation have commenced to unravel the involvement of the 3 suspects and who their sponsors are.
He noted that at the expiration of a thorough investigation, whoever is found culpable would definitely have their time in court.
