NSCDC discovers illegal engine oil factories in Ilorin

FILE PHOTO

· Adulterated nubricants dangerous to life —DPR

Kwara State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has discovered illegal factories where fake and adulterated engine oil is refined and packaged in Ilorin.

Also, teams led by the Directorate of State Security Service ( DSS)and the Directorate of Petroleum Products (DPR) and the NSCDC, had sealed off the illegal factories in the state capital.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, on Thursday, the state commandant of NSCDC, Mr Pedro Ideba, said that 42 people , including staff and kingpins in the refining and marketing of the illegal production and sales, had been arrested.

The civil defence boss, who said that one of the illegal factories, Segmax oil company, located in a rural settlement of Kere Aje area, Ogbondoroko community, Afon, in Asa Local Government Area, was not licensed, adding that only the laboratory equipment found in the factory were test tube and hydrometer.

The commandant said that his men had been on surveillance of the area in the past three months, adding that the fence of the factory was as high as prison yard fence with illegal production done only at night and distribution early in the morning.

He said his men, who had laid ambush, pounced on two trucks while entering the factory to load the illegal products on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the DPR in Kwara State, has described and widespread activities of lubricants adulteration in the state as serious danger to life of people in the state.

Speaking with journalists after the agency, in conjunction with NSCDC and the DSS, sealed off three illegal lubricant factories in Ilorin, on Thursday, the director of DPR, Mr Salvation Phillip, advised members of the public to desist from patronising adulterated lubricant products.

“As a result of that illegality, members of the public are endangered. There is the risk to life and risk to engines of vehicles . And we are in hard times and some few individuals have taken it upon themselves to make the situation more difficult for others.”