Twelve petroleum marketers have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp for removing the seals belonging to the Nigeria Mainstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and also harassing the agency’s surveillance team in Kogi State.
According to The PUNCH, the NSCDC Kogi Command made the arrest on Friday when they went round in collaboration with the surveillance team of NMDPRA to check the activities of some petroleum marketers whose filling stations were sealed by NMDPRA for operating illegally.
NSCDC Spokesperson, Alex Agiri, said the suspected petroleum marketers were arrested in Lokoja, Idah, Ankpa, Ayingba, and Ajaokuta.
He said, “The 12 people that were arrested today by NSCDC in collaboration with NMDPRA have been found wanting in the areas of under dispensing, they are also harassing the officials of NMDPRA who are saddled with the responsibility of regulating their activities.
“The role of NSCDC is that we collaborate with the NMDPRA in making sure that anything that has to do with oil is taken with a keen interest in terms of dispensing, location of the product, and many more. It is against the rule that when a filling station is found wanting and being sealed by this same Federal Government agency, a marketer will now go and remove the seal, begin to harass them, or even beat them. That is a grievous offence.
“The Federal Government frowns at it and the NSCDC has the mandate to enforce this arrest in line with the laid down rules in conjunction with the NMDPRA made the arrest of the 12 persons who have been found wanting.
“When you run foul of the law, the consequences will be meted out to those who are found wanting. These erring marketers will face the full wrath of the law.”
