NSCDC arrests 9 for illegal oil refining near Rivers-Abia border

The massive site contained over 15 Modular ovens with 4 fabricated reservoirs and 30 pits dug out to store processed AGO.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested nine suspected oil thieves at an illegal refinery in a forest boundary between Rivers and Abia.

This is according to a statement by NSCDC Public Relations Officer (PRO), Babawale Afolabi on Monday in Abuja.

Afolabi said that based on the Corps’ dedication to wage war against illegal bunkering, the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CGsSIS) laid intelligence surveillance at the site which aided in the successful arrest.

“We apprehended nine suspects caught illegally refining stolen crude extracted from a vandalised oil wellhead.

“We also discovered an ongoing construction of a local refinery with the capacity to produce 60,000 liters of crude at once.

“Visibly at the massive illegal bunkering we noticed large hoses and galvanised metal pipes laid to transfer stolen crude across the processing channels,” he said.

According to him, the suspects arrested are; Oghene Wede (M) 32years, Moses James (M) 25years, Chidi Nwosu (M) 53years, and Samuel John (M) 24years.

Others are; Emmanuel Paul (M) 20years, Oghenevo Nwebi (M) 43years, Martina Whinnypeter (F) 38Years, Nwabuchi Nwogu (M) 41 years, and David Okere (M) 20years.

The Spokesperson said that interrogation of the suspects and further investigation has commenced, adding that the suspects would thereafter be charged in court. He said the massive site contained over 15 Modular ovens with 4 fabricated reservoirs and 30 pits dug out to store processed AGO.

“Exhibits recovered are RWD 5.0 GFE-6500 power generating set, two yellow colour pumping machines, metal and plastic buckets, cutlasses, saw, mats, welding Machine, galvanised metal pipes, different heavy-duty hoses, automotive gas oil (AGO) illegally processed in cooking ovens,” Afolabi added.