The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered a clandestine oil bunkering operation within the dense forest area of Umuedeokwara Community in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.
According to The PUNCH, this discovery was made by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad during a targeted operation to combat oil theft in the region.
The details were released in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the Corps’ spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale.
Deputy Commandant Appolos Dandaura, who leads the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, explained that the operation was driven by intelligence reports that pointed to the existence of an illegal refinery at the location.
Dandaura explained that the perpetrators were tapping into multinational oil pipelines, using a network of fabricated and galvanized metallic pipes with inserted valves to extract crude oil.
“Like we always reiterate that our operations are intelligence-based and we value every piece of information and preserve the integrity of our informants; we swung into action, combed the entire forest, and discovered where the suspects were refining crude oil locally after storage in large trampoline reservoirs and further packaged them in cellophane bags and sacks,” Dandaura stated.
At the crime scene, the NSCDC squad identified several exhibits, including approximately 20,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil stored in cellophane bags, significant quantities of siphoned crude oil in tarpaulin reservoirs, and various tools such as aluminium and plastic buckets, galvanized metallic fabricated pipes, and heavy-duty industrial hoses.
Items of clothing, believed to belong to the suspects who fled the scene, were also found.
“The following exhibits were marked at the crime scene: about 20,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil stored in cellophane bags, large quantities of siphoned crude oil stored in tarpaulin reservoirs, different sizes of aluminium and plastic buckets, galvanized metallic fabricated pipes, heavy-duty industrial hoses and items of clothing belonging to the suspects,” Dandaura was quoted saying.
Dandaura emphasized that this operation is in line with the directive from NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Audi to intensify efforts against illegal bunkering and ensure that the culprits are apprehended and brought to justice.
