Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has paraded 13 persons suspected to have been involved in illegal oil bunkering and vandalism of electricity transformers belonging to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED.
NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Rivers State Command, Oguntuase Michael, said the 13 suspects were arrested in separate operations, between January 30th, 2020 and February 7th, 2020 within the state.
Michael explained that six of the suspects were arrested for conveying suspected illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil, commonly known as diesel, and other petroleum products.
He added that the other seven suspects were arrested for suspected vandalim of electricity transformers, as they were caught with 13 drums of transformer oil, one 200KVA transformer, two rolls of suspected transformer cables, etc.
The Rivers State NSCDC command assured that the arrested suspects would be charged to court at the close of investigation.
“On 30th January 2020, an open-body pick-up van with registration number BayelsaXB325KMR, conveying suspected illegally refined AGO stacked in about 110 cellophane bags was apprehended with thre suspects in Elele, Ikwere LGA of Rivers State.
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“On 5th February 2020 at about 0245hrs, an open body long truck conveying unquantifiable amount of suspected petroleum product with registration number YobeTO234YB and three suspects were arrested in Igbo-Etche, Etche LGA of Rivers State.
“On 7th February, 2020, at about 0024hrs an enclosed long truck with Registration Number LagosAPP06XF, loaded with suspected vandalized Power Holding facilities was intercepted along D-Line, Port Harcourt City LGA and seven suspects were arrested.
“The seven suspects were arrested with the following; 13 drums of suspected illegally acquired transformer oil, five step-down transformers, one 200KVA transformer, two rolls of suspected transformer cables, two bags containing bolts and 48 fibre ladders used for vandalism.”