The Niger command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has arrested a driver for carrying 45,000 litres of suspected fake kerosene.

The corps said it arrested the driver and his companion with an articulated vehicle laden with the product on Suleja-Kaduna road on August 15.

The commandant of the corps in the state, Haruna Zurmi, announced this while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Minna.

Mr Zurmi added that the suspects were arrested while conveying the products to Kaduna.

He disclosed that the NSCDC operatives, on a routine patrol at about 2:00 p.m. on August 15, intercepted the articulated vehicle marked ABJ 988 XK, containing 45,000 litres of suspected adulterated kerosene without a genuine waybill.

He also revealed that the two suspects — Salisu Idris, 45, the driver, and Bashir Mohammed, 25 — could only present a paper issued on August 12, 2020.

Mr Zurmi further stated that he had directed that a laboratory test should be on the product while “the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.”

“We will continue with our aggressive patrol on all the major highways in checking the activities of vehicles conveying adulterated products,” Mr Zurmi said.

The commandant appealed to the public to imbibe the culture of providing reliable information on bad elements in society for prompt security action.

“Security matters should not be left in the hands of security personnel alone. There is need for all sundry to complement the efforts of personnel with vital intelligence information that can result in arresting miscreants in the society,” said the NSCDC commandant.

(NAN)