Ten individuals have been presented by the Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for vandalism, illicit petroleum product trades, and other connected offences.

Yesterday, the Rivers State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Basil Igwebueze, paraded the suspects at the command headquarters and claimed that the arrests had been made by the command’s anti-vandalism squad.

Five of the suspects, according to Igwebueze, were in possession of three motorcycles, two kerosene-filled wheelbarrows (AGO), and a 1,000-meter-long industrial pumping hose.

He said that the suspects were arrested and handed over to the NSCDC Rivers State Command by military intelligence men with the Headquarters of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The state commandant further revealed that five suspects, including “Aniebiet Pascal (22), Nnadi Ogbonna (23), Ifeanyi Delight (25), Sunday Benjamin (22) and Okechukwu Finbar (20), were apprehended by 29 Battalion Nigerian Army Port Harcourt.”

He said that the suspects were arrested with 44 metal pipes, four cylinders containing nitrogen gas, and one wooden boat with a 25 horsepower engine along the Kryo community near Alakiri waterways in Okrika Local Government Area of the state.

The commandant revealed that the “anti-vandal unit while on routine patrol at Mother Cat roundabout, Trans Amadi in Port Harcourt also impounded vehicles abandoned by suspects who are currently being trailed by our undercover personnel.

“The command recovered a gold-coloured Toyota Camry with number plate RIVERS AJ 770 DBU laden with illegally refined AGO concealed in cellophane bags, a white and black Futon Bus Registered as EBONYI XA 637BKL laden with eight plastic drums of illegally refined AGO.”

Igwebueze assured that at the conclusion of the investigation, the suspects would be charged in court. At the same time, the products and means of conveyance would be forfeited and the proceeds remitted into the federal government’s coffers.

He warned unrepentant illegal oil bunkers to desist from such a heinous act or face the full wrath of the law.

He hinted that the Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi, deployed him to Rivers State to achieve the mandate of the corps in safeguarding all critical national assets and infrastructures, training, supervision, and monitoring of the private security guard companies, and disaster management, amongst others.

Igwebueze noted that to ensure the effective discharge of the NSCDC’s statutory mandate, there is a need for strong collaborations with sister security agencies.