The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rivers State Command, has arrested 20 suspected oil thieves in the ongoing fight against illegal oil bunkering in the state.
The agency also seized 11 trucks, one wooden boat, a bus and 10 cars ladened with illegally refined petroleum products.
Parading the suspects and the seized vehicles at the command’s headquarters in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the new state Commandant, Abu Tambuwal, said the command would continue to intensify its fight against illegal bunkering activities on land and water.
Tambuwal stated that the suspects were apprehended in different parts of the state following credible intelligence upon the resumption of the command’s new anti-vandal team.
He said, “On January 27, 2022, the new anti-vandal team of the command resumed operations. While acting on credible intelligence, the team intercepted two trucks along the Mbiama axis of the East/West Road in the Ahoada West LGA of the state. An ox-blood/white Mack truck with number plate, Abuja ABC 627 ZV, loaded with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally refined AGO was recovered.”
The NSCDC boss added that the command’s marine patrol team also seized a big wooden boat with an unspecified quantity of illegally refined diesel concealed in sacks.
