The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered two illegal bunkering sites in Rivers.

The NSCDC spokesperson, CSC Babawale Afolabi, disclosed in a statement on Monday that the sites were at the Odagwa-Owaza riverside boundaries of Rivers and Abia, while the other was at the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers.

The spokesperson stated that the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CGsSIS) had discovered the illegal connections following an intelligence report.

“The illegal connections were made to syphon oil from wellheads using huge hoses laid and buried underground in a thick forest at the Odagwa/Owaza Riverside boundaries of Rivers and Abia.

“And another site at Odagwa in the Etche area of Rivers where vandals tampered with valves of the manifold and syphoned crude at Imo River 2, an oil and gas flow station operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Commission (NPDC).

“During the operation, we observed that security agencies had earlier destroyed the first local refining site, but it was later rebuilt,” he said.

According to him, some of the exhibits recovered were a new yellow Robin EY 20 pumping machine, blue heavy-duty hoses, over 5,000 litres of locally refined petroleum products in cellophane bags, and a reservoir.

Also recovered were about 10,000 litres of kerosene (AGO) stored in a cooking oven, two shovels and spades, buckets, and four flash headlights.

CG’s SIS commander, Dandaura Appolos, has reaffirmed the corps’ commitment to waging a relentless war against oil theft nationwide.

“Let me reassure the public that the NSCDC remains committed to her statutory mandate as the lead agency in safeguarding all critical national assets and infrastructure across the nation.

“The intelligence department has commenced a thorough investigation into the matter and the suspects in custody are currently assisting us in the ongoing investigation,” the commander said. 

(NAN)