Oil theft: NSCDC arrests 4, impounds 3-truck-load of 42, 500litres crude oil in Delta

OPERATIVES of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Delta State Command, have, on Tuesday, arrested four suspected crude oil thieves and impounded three trucks loaded with 42, 500 litres of crude oil in Delta.

The arrest, it was gathered, was effected at about 2:00am Tuesday following a tipoff.

Commandant of the security outfit in Delta, Commandant Beatrice Irabor, told journalists that the suspects allegedly got the product from a vandalied crude line belonging to the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) at Effurun-Sapele road.

She said her men got the tipoff that some group of vandals were vandalising the pipeline and immediately acted on it.

Commandant Irabor gave the names of the four suspects as Ejiofor Nweke, Naboboh Taiye, Monday Ohikhena and Friday Oboh, adding that they’ll be arraigned in court after further investigations.

She also disclosed that the three trucks loaded with suspected crude oil were with registration number LSB 04XG carrying 18,000 litres, another with registration number TRN 98 ZG, loaded with 2,500 litres and the third truck loaded with 22,000 litres of crude oil.

Meanwhile, the Armed Squad Commander of NSCDC, Delta Command, ASC1Odigie Asibor and Officer in-Charge of Anti Vandals, told journalists that they were able to effect the arrest of the suspects because of their swift response.

They alleged that the suspects had drilled the pipeline before connecting it to a hosepipe through which the product was offloaded into the trucks.

No official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), PPMC and MRS who were at the site of the vandalised pipeline granted an audience to journalists on the incident.