Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have arrested two suspected oil thieves and seized 400 quantities of 30 litres of kegs, which is about 12,000 litres and about 2,500 Litres drums. About 12,500 Premium Motor Spirit, PMS.
The arrest and seizure were sequel to NSCDC Lagos State Command, Corps Commandant (CC), Edenabu Okoro Eweka’s zero tolerance to oil pipeline vandalism, illegal dealings in petroleum products, smuggling of oil products across the high sea and other forms of economic sabotage.
They were said to have been intercepted early Monday on the high sea at Ilekan around the Ajah with their wooden boat containing blue and yellow kegs and 24,500 litres of product, identified to be PMS, also known as petrol, were also seized.
“The suspected stolen PMS, is estimated to be over four million naira only, at market value,” Commandant Edenabu Okoro Eweka,” said, while addressing some media men, at the Ijora Jetty beat of the Command, where the parade of two male suspects, namely; Olorunwa Sunday and Friday Bolaji and exhibits were displayed, yesterday, Tuesday, 18th October, 2022, at about 11:00hrs,” he said.
The Commandant, while affirming the Command’s unflinching commitment, towards eradicating all forms of economic sabotage, during the parade, yesterday, at the Ijora Jetty, in the company of Deputy Commandant of Corps ( DCC ) Jimoh Olusola, ACC Musa Jibrin, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Corps ( DSC ) Abolurin Oluwaseun and other gallant officers and men, immediately ordered, the Anti-vandal and Exhibit unit of the Command, to evacuate the recovered oil products back to the Command’s Head Quarters, in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, in a bid, to carry out a further intelligent investigation, on the matter and find a lasting solution to such ugly economic sabotage in the state.
Addressing the journalists, he said,” My name is Commandant Eweka Okoro Douglas, the state commandant of NSCDC Lagos state command.
“We are here again today to show to the public some unscrupulous elements of the Nigerian society that specialize in foreign federal government subsidies PMS to our neighbouring country Cotonou.
“This group of people yesterday was caught on Sunday night stroke Monday morning was found carrying 400 quantities of 30 litres keg which is about 12,000 litres and about 2,500 Litres drum which is about 12,500 PMS.
“They were caught at Ilekan on the High Sea by the vigilant Anti-vandals’ teams of NSCDC officers acting on intelligent information and these set of people you can imagine our interim reports reviews that they brought this fuel all the way from Eleko.
“They are going into Badagry where they have fuel, they didn’t take it now going to the republic of Benue.
“Our vigilant officers apprehended them and they were now saying where is your master?
“They said our master is on the road flying the road.
“This is the way they siphon Nigeria subsidies PMS thereby causing the government to waste revenue and we as a responsible agency would not relent in our effort to put them down and not allow them to continue to it the federal government to shame so that why we arrested them, others who are yet to be caught will learn that it is not good to sabotage the federal government and we will not allow such to happen in this our area that is our resolutely and we will continue doing it day and night thank you very much.
“The next thing is for us to do a diligent investigation and take them to court because they have no excuse to ferry federal government subsidies PMS.
“They are intentionally going to Court and the court will decide what will happen to them.
“The message to others is that NSCDC will assist to carry out their duties under our able leadership of CG Abubakar Muhammed Audi, who has empowered us with logistics.
“We will use things given to us to propagate the job given to us and we will relent in our effort that they should be careful they should move away from Lagos state.
“We will not tolerate sabotage or for them to continue to sabotage the federal government it is not in our record to allow that. Thank you very much.”