Mkpoikana Udoma
01 November 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — The Rivers State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has stated that is liaising with the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, to contain fuel diversion and hoarding.
Specifically, the state NSCDC commandant, Mohammed Haruna, said the cooperation between the two Federal Government agencies was aimed at ensuring that products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, reached the public as at when due and without being tampered with.
Haruna disclosed this while parading 35 suspected oil thieves arrested by NSCDC in Rivers State between September and October 2018, where he vowed not to give breeding space to oil thieves in the state.
According to him, cooperation between NSCDC and DPR in ensuring uninterrupted petroleum products flow from the NNPC would remove artificial fuel scarcity and sustain the current stability in products supply across the country.
The NSCDC boss revealed that apart from the 35 suspects paraded by the NSCDC, the agency also impounded two cars, 10 trucks, three buses and two barges within the period under review.
He explained that among the arrested suspects are three individuals who specialise in vandalising oil and gas wellheads, saying items recovered from them included two oil wellhead valves, oil pipes, a saw and other tools used for vandalism.
He also said: “On 13th September, 2018, through joint operations with OPDS, three suspects carrying illegally refined AGO in polythene bags were arrested along Ogbakiri in Emuohua Local Government Area. On 19th September 2018, three suspects were also jointly arrested with a vessel loaded with suspected stolen crude oil along Robertkiri Chevron flow station.
“On 29th September, 2018, Naval officers handed over 14 suspects with nine trucks with suspected AGO and crude oil. The suspects were arrested along Hurly king waterfront, Yesu waterfront and Sand fill in Eleme.
“On 5th October 2018, four suspects were arrested and handed over to the corps by JTF on the ground of oil bunkering along Alakiri in Okirika Local Government Area, though no exhibit was recovered”.
