The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has said that its operatives have discovered illegal crude oil bunkering sites at cemeteries in some Rivers State communities.
The NSCDC’s spokesperson, Rivers State Command, Superintendent Olufemi Ayodele, who made this known to journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Thursday said the illegal oil refining sites were discovered in Abalama and Oproama Communities in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the State.
Ayodele said the discovery was made by NSCDC’s Marine Anti-vandal Squad through credible and sustained intelligence after a four-hour operational tour on water across the two communities.
The NSCDC spokesperson noted that the Corps’ Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, gave a marching order to all formations in the Niger Delta to step up intelligence and operational efficiency in the fight against oil theft and illegal oil bunkering activities.
Ayodele expressed worry about how the vandals devised a new means of converting cemeteries to illegal bunkering sites.
According to him, the vandals had already loaded several illegally refined crude and refined Automotive Gas Oil also known as diesel was sighted in boats by the riverside.
He said that on sighting the NSCDC operatives, the vandals took to their heels and were given a hot pursuit by the operatives.
Ayodele said that men of the Marine Anti-Vandal Squad are on the trail of the vandals to ensure they are arrested and prosecuted.
“Acting on this directive the Rivers State Commandant of the NSCDC, Basil Igwebueze, deployed the Marine Anti-vandal Squad to the crime scene where several boats filled with crude oil and refined Automotive Gas Oil were sighted.
“This is the Abalama community and behind us is the Oproama community as well where Cemeteries were converted to illegal bunkering sites; Upon our arrival, the suspects took to their heels knowing the squad had superior firepower.
“The NSCDC as an environmentally friendly agency condemns outright all acts of environmental pollution, degradation of aquatic life and economic sabotage.
“We have contacted some good people in the two communities and they are cooperating with us so that the perpetrators would be apprehended in due course. However, the quantities in litres of the locally refined AGO cannot be ascertained.
“Consequently, the NSCDC Rivers State Command helmsman has further issued a stern warning against the activities of vandals and illegal bunkers in the state affirming that the fight against oil theft is a relentless war and suspects arrested with their sponsors would be made to face the full wrath of the law,” Ayodele said.
