Eight Fake Naval Officers, 29 Oil Thieves Arrested In Rivers

 

Eight fake naval officers on an illegal escort in Port Harcourt and 29 suspected oil thieves were on Friday paraded by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The NSCDC Commandant in Rivers state, Muktar Lawal, stated that “Today (Friday), the command is parading 37 suspected oil thieves, 13 trucks, 18 drums containing suspected adulterated stolen petroleum products, one bus, five cars, one pumping machine, 37 pieces of suspected vandalised railway clips, four suspected railway slippers, a cylinder and a torchlight suspected to be used for act of vandalism.

“On April 9, 2021, the Nigeria Navy Ship Pathfinderz Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, handed over eight suspects to the command arrested for alleged naval impersonation and illegal escort duty onboard a security boat MV SANDUST.”

He noted that the arrested suspects were being investigated for possible prosecution, while he restated the corps’ commitment to protecting the nation’s critical assets and infrastructure.

“The fight against vandalism along the rail tracks and all oil installations in Rivers State is still ongoing and will not stop until vandals stay off the critical national assets and infrastructure in the state,” he added.

Lawal also said the NSCDC had deployed 2,500 operatives for the local government election on Saturday to complement the efforts of the police in ensuring peace and order before, during and after the exercise.