NSCDC dismantles illegal refinery in Rivers

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (SIS) has uncovered and dismantled an illegally constructed refining site containing over 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Adobi settlement, Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.

According to a statement released on Saturday by the NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, the CG’s SIS acted on credible intelligence suggesting that suspects had vandalized a wellhead belonging to a multinational company.

The suspects allegedly connected galvanized metal pipes with large hoses to siphon and process the crude oil locally.

Afolabi said the Commander of the CG’s SIS, DC Dandaura Appolos, immediately swung into action and uncovered several sites where massive illegal refining of stolen crude oil was being carried out.

“Just as we value and protect our informants, the information received is always treated with caution and prompt alertness; as soon as we arrived, the suspect took to their heels but we were able to arrest one Godspower Oyibo (M) 32 years from Delta State who is now assisting us with further investigation.

“On the crime scene, there were reservoirs cemented with trampoline and filled with approximately 100,000 litres of crude oil. While the following exhibits were sighted: A yellow colour robin EY 20 pumping machine, galvanised metal pipes, long large hoses, an already vandalised well head, stolen crude worth 100,000 litres stored in reservoirs, calibrated surface tanks, processed AGO in cooking pots and metal buckets,” he was quoted as saying.