Akwa Ibom: NSCDC Arrests Nine For Illegal Petroleum Dealings, Impounds Three Trucks

According to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Akwa Ibom Command, three trucks carrying 1355,000 liters of petroleum products were confiscated, and nine suspects were detained for illicit petroleum product transactions and other offenses.

This was revealed on Saturday at a press conference held at the Command headquarters in Uyo by Mr. Eluyemi Eluwade, the State Commandant of the NSCDC.

Eluwade stated that the arrest was made on July 14 along the Ikot Abasi-Port Harcourt Expressway in Akwa Ibom by the command’s Anti-vandal Unit.

“NSCDC officers stopped the vehicles for a normal document inspection. They insisted on seeing the necessary documentation, including a license to purchase, sell, and transport petroleum products as required by the Petroleum Industry Act.

“The inability of the suspects to produce complete relevant documents led to their arrest and their trucks impounded for illegal dealing in petroleum products, an offence punishable by section 17 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

“Two of the trucks were conveying about 45,000 litres each of Automative Gas Oil (AGO) popularly known as Diesel.

“The third truck was conveying about 45,000 litres of petroleum product suspected to be crude oil or used engine oil, a petroleum by-product for which a license is also required to buy, sell or transport,” Eluwade said.

Meanwhile, the state commandant noted that another suspect was also arrested by operatives of NSCDC on July 15 in Idu Uruan, Uruan LGA for alleged criminal conspiracy, tampering and theft of armoured cable in a transformer at the Nigeria Medical Association Center in Uruan.

He said that the suspect, who was currently under investigation, was believed to have connived with criminals who breached the security of the facility where he was providing security, vandalized, and stole armored cable.

Eluwade reiterated the corps’ commitment to curtail all forms of illegalities, including illegal bunkering, adulteration of petroleum products, operating without license, illegal refining to the barest minimum.

He warned against vandalism of public utilities, describing it as a crime against the society, as it deprived everyone the common good they were meant to enjoy.

The commandant said that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded to serve as deterrent to others.