The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Wednesday paraded five suspected oil thieves arrested in Rivers State.
The security agency said it recovered nine vehicles conveying 15, 000 litres of illegally refined Automated Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, from the suspects.
The NSCDC Commandant, Rivers State, Basil Igwebueze, disclosed this while parading the suspects and the exhibits before newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Igwebueze said the suspects, all males, between the ages of 19 and 25, were nabbed with equipment used in tapping crude.
He stated: “The suspects, Abdulrasheed Nuhu (m), 25; Hussaini Ciroma (m), 24; Shamsudeen Umar (m), 23; Al-Amina Ismaila(m), 19, and Ibrahim Usman(m), 23, were arrested at Alesa-Eleme Okrika Road, Eleme Local Government, for laying galvanised pipes close to NNPC/PPMC line/right of way.
“The suspects were caught with some galvanised pipes to be connected and used for tapping crude oil.
“Preliminary investigation report, however, revealed that the suspects carried out the act to siphon petroleum products from the pipeline in the late hours of the night.”
Igwebueze advised the people, especially youths engaged in illicit activities, to turn a new leaf, warning that the NSCDC would not let up in the fight against oil theft.
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