Ogheneruona Tejiri, Warri
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)Delta Command has arrested three persons suspected to be oil thieves with about 16,000 litres of stolen products.
The product suspected to be refined diesel was laden in a large wooden boat popularly called Cotonou boat.
Parading the suspects on Tuesday in Warri, Commandant Jonah Suleimon, Commandant, Delta State Command of NSCDCt said that the suspects were apprehended on Sunday (21/04/2024) within the neighborhood of Madagho Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state.
He disclosed that NSCDC operatives had been on the trail of the suspects in the past three days before they were eventually arrested.
Accordng to Commandant Suleimon, “I am here to parade the three suspects we arrested on April 21, 2024 at about 0236 hours at Shell Escravos area around Madagho Village settlement.
“My boys have been out for more than three days on the trail of the suspects before we were fortunate to arrest them on Sunday.
“They were apprehended alongside: nine GP tanks with four of the tanks fully loaded with products, two pumping machines, a generator and a counting machine.
“For you to arrest suspects with pumping and counting machines with lots of products (refined), not black, for us to say it is locally refined.
“It is obvious that this product was vandalised somewhere, the suspects tampered with the pipelines.”
Speaking further, Commandant Suleiman noted that the arrest was an indication that his personnel were committed to fighting oil thieves who were hell bent on sabotaging the nation’s economy.
He said that they would not rest on their oars until the creeks in Delta State are rid of criminal elements who are hell bent on sabotaging the nations’ Critical Assets, adding, “we shall continue to pursue them untill Delta creeks are free from these oil thieves. I hereby warn that Delta State is not safe for them,.”
He added, “we are not relenting and we will not relent; we are not sleeping and we will not sleep. Others who are having the plan to sabotage the economy should move away from Delta because we are out for them.”
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