NSCDC uncovers illegal refining site

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General (CG), Dr Ahmed Audi’s Special Intelligence Squad (SIS) has uncovered a massive illegal refining site with over 95,000 illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), while others yet to be refined but already siphoned are unquantified in litres, National Public Relations Officer (PRO), NSCDC National Headquarters, Abuja, CSC Babawale Afolabi on Thursday.

Acting on credible intelligence, the CG’s SIS stormed Otulu Community in Egbema West of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State and discovered an illegal refinery covering a large expanse of land with many cooking pots and illegally connected pipes, tapping from the main oil trunk line of NNPC OML 20 assets in Egbema West field; Well 11 location with many fabricated reservoirs, drums and AGO concealed in cellophane bags.

Upon sighting the resilient and dogged CG’s SIS, the perpetrators took to their heels through the thick forests. The exhibits recovered at the crime scene were: Galvanized iron pipes, several locally fabricated metal reservoirs, a Constant Elepaq Gasoline Generating Set, Bridge Inverter Welding machine ARC 200, Electrical filing machine, Several vandalized Well Head Valves, a yellow coloured Robin GC pumping machine and Packs of Electrolyte.

The investigation, according to the release is ongoing to unravel the perpetrators behind the heinous crime while the exhibits recovered would be forfeited to the federal government after the court’s order, even if it added that the NSCDC was committed to relentlessly combat the menace of vandalism and crude oil theft to a standstill across the nation.