NSCDC intercepts 45,000 litres of illegally refined fuel
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo Command, has intercepted a truck laden with 45,000 litres of suspected illegally-refined petroleum products.
Mr Makinde Ayinla, the State Commandant of the NSCDC, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Tuesday.
Ayinla said that the truck was intercepted at Aduwawa area on Benin/Auchi road.
He told NAN that the truck, which was laden with suspected illegally-refined diesel was loaded in Delta and heading to Abuja.
The NSCDC boss said the driver of the truck had been arrested and would soon be prosecuted.
Ayinla said that the command would continue to discharge its duties and ensure that the nation’s economic saboteurs desist from their unpatriotic trade.
The commandant advised petroleum marketers to shun acts inimical to the economic emancipation of the country and ensure that they got their products from the legal refineries.
He said this was imperative as any marketer that patronised illegal refinery would eventually suffer a loss as such products, if intercepted, would be destroyed.
In June this year, men of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory in Calabar, Cross River State also arrested eight suspects in connection with the smuggling of over 100, 000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil.
The suspects, who were arrested along the Calabar waterways, were said to have smuggled the products from Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
The Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said the arrests were made along the Calabar Channel following intelligence reports about the activities of the suspects.
Nwagu, who paraded the suspects and the seized items on a large wooden boat at the NNS Victory jetty before handing them over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, said the Navy would always be a step ahead of criminals in the country’s maritime domain. He said the seized items were worth over N23m.
Nwagu said, “We all know the consequences of people taking the laws into their hands to sabotage the efforts of the government and the efforts the Nigeria Navy is putting to ensuring that the perpetuators of these illegal activities are brought to book.
“I am here to hand over the suspects, the cargo and the Cotonou boats to the NSCDC to take over them in accordance with the extant regulations.
“We are ever ready, any time to go after criminals. If they do not want to hear and continue to perpetrate in this trade, we are here to collect it from them and arrest them. The Nigerian Navy is a step ahead.”
He added, “Our maritime domain awareness is up and running. There is no hiding place for perpetrators. This is the third arrest we are handing over to the civil defence in the last few months.
“Once you commit your resources to illegal and contraband products, and you want to pass them through our maritime domain, be rest assured we are going to catch you. Any attempt they make, the Nigerian Navy is a step ahead.”
Receiving the suspects and seized items, the state Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Stephen Lar, appreciated Navy for the synergy in fighting crime.
He said they would carry out further investigations and then prosecute the suspects.
Lar said if convicted, the suspects would forfeit the items to the Federal Government.