The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has reported the arrest of 16 persons including a 45-year old mother of four in Abia State for allegedly engaging in illegal oil bunkering.
The state commandant of the corps, Mr Vincent Ogu, stated this while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia, the capital on some of its recent achievements.
He explained that, “The suspects were arrested at different locations across the state for offences bordering on oil bunkering and illegal dealings in petroleum products.”
He said Babangida Saleh, Abubakar Ibrahim, Bukar Ali, and Mohammed Mohammed were arrested, while conveying about 30,000 litres of suspected petroleum products in a truck with Reg. No. GYA611XA.
“Lawrence Ahmed, Johnson Akinrinola and Ofo-Obong Francis were arrested, while conveying 10 drums of suspected petroleum products concealed in cellophane bags in a Volkswagen Bus with Reg. No EZA879XA.”
Ogu further added that that Daniel Ikechukwu and Ugochukwu Alozie were allegedly conveying 20,000 litres of petroleum products in a truck with Reg. No. NSR311SA, when they were arrested by the corps.
“Elijah Peters, Lawal Ibrahim, Haruna Zuberu and the mother of four, Chinyere Ezeali, were arrested in Aba on February 26 for their alleged involvement in oil bunkering, using a truck with Reg. No. DKA353XP.
The commandant, alleged that the suspects did not have the licence to deal in petroleum products, adding that the trucks and other vehicles lacked the permit to be used for conveying the commodities.
Ogu warned the youths to shun crime, criminality, and vandalism, “Any attacks on the critical national assets and infrastructure is an attack on the economic wellbeing of every Nigerian and we will resist it.”
He used the opportunity to announce that the command had secured five convictions at the Federal High Court, Umuahia within the five months of his assumption of office as the 10th state commandant.
While some of them confessed to the crime, Ezeali, who claimed that she deals on household utensils near Obehie in Ukwa West local government area, denied any involvement in illegal in petroleum products.
The mother of four, therefore, explained that she was waiting for her friend by the roadside in the area, when military operatives posted to the area arrested her and later handed her over to the NSCDC.
