NSCDC arrests 3 suspects for Illegal Mining activities in Delta

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3 years ago

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested three suspects for illegal mining of crude oil in Ugbokodo waterside in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.

The illegal activities of the suspects were made known to the command through a credible source.

This was made known in a statement issued by the Commands Public Relations Officer Dsc Emeka Peters and made available to journalists in Warri on Tuesday.

The suspects, identified as Eze Emmanuel, 32, Samuel Ige, 40 and Isa Idris, aged 18yrs, though granted bail, would be charged to court pending conclusion of investigations.

In a similar development, the presidency and the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Abubakar Audi Ahmed, has mandated Tactical Squad of Delta Command to comb and impound trucks, boats, SUVs, vandalised items, power installations suspected to be harbouring stolen crude oil or its finished products.

The team was also ordered to search forests, shrubs, compounds, creeks, waterways, stations, dump sites, dump yards, and other locations that are sufficiently suspected of being utilised for sabotage or illegal trades in petroleum products.

The statement posited that all items that are being used by illegal refiners and suspected refiners down to the State Headquarters in Asaba should be arrested.

While enumerating the achievements of the command, Dsc Emeka Peters stated that the command has destroyed refineries in Alfa Marine in Koko, the administrative centre of the Warri North LGA, in a concurrent operation.

The statement read in part; “In a similar development, men from the Solid Mineral Unit drafted from the Combined Forces of the NSCDC also arrested three (3) suspects for Illegal mining activities in Ugbokodo waterside in Okpe LGA of Delta state.

“The Commands Public Relations Officer Dsc Emeka Peters said that the suspects were arrested from a credible intelligent tip off available to the command.

“Acting upon the directive from the presidency and the Commandant General of the NSCDC Dr Abubakar Audi Ahmed PhD mni, the Delta State Commandant of the NSCDC Akinsanya Iskilu has ignited his men on a kinetic and spontaneous operations through a well coordinated but a radical approach launched by men of the Commandant Tactical Squad, CTS, and the Rejigged Anti-Vandal Squad RAS, with a directive to bring down the low, high and mighty to justice.

“The squad were charged to comb all forest, bushes, compounds, creeks, water bodies, stations, dump site, dump yard, premises sufficiently suspected to be used for Illegal dealings in petroleum products or are involved in the act of sabotage.

“Others are trucks, boats, SUVs, vandalised items, Power installations, telecommunications, railway installations and other public infrastructures etc they are to impound, and arrests all suspects down to the State Headquarters in Asaba.

“The Public relations officer while recounting the achievement of the command recorded recently, he said that the command in a parallel operations, decimated artisanal refineries in Alfa marine in Koko the Administrative head quarters of Warri North LGA. He said that the suspects jumped into rivers and swamps upon sighting men of the Rejigged Anti-Vandal Squad(RAS).

“In a determined effort to arrest the fleeing suspects, Dsc Emeka Okwechime, said that plain clothe personal has been strategically position with in the nooks and crannies of the LGA.

“Large metal tanks, drums containing petroleum product suspected to be AGO, hose, used by the Vandals and other equipment, instrument used in the illegal dealings in petroleum product were crushed and set ablaze by the NSCDC RAS.”

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