Efforts by the? Federal government? and security? agencies? to clamp down on oil thieves yielded result at the weekend in Aba, Abia State, when the Anti Vandal squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence? Corps (NSCDC) arrested three persons? for allegedly operating an illegal refinery.
?Luck ran out on the illegal refinery operators when the Intelligence Unit of NSCDC?? discovered? a secret petroleum products depot?? at no 41 Milverton Avenue in? Aba , suspected to be used for an illegal refinery.
?The illegal? depot , surprisingly was located in a residential area where other business activities were still going on?? without anybody raising? an alarm despite the danger? it posed on them? if there? was a fire? outbreak.
?The Area?? Commander of? Area 1? , Abia State command of NSCDC, Mr. Oluseye Akerele said that? the discovery and the? subsequent? arrest of the dealers were in line with the federal government’s directive that all such? oil thieves be smoked out.
?He further explained that based on the investigation of his men “we learnt that some? men were storing some petroleum products there and? our investigation showed that the? products were not from the right source and we swooped on them.”
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