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Five suspected oil bunkerers are now in custody as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Imo State intensifies efforts, leading to the impounding of four vehicles linked to the arrests.
The disclosure was made by Matthew Ovye, the Commandant of NSCDC in Imo, as he paraded the suspects in Owerri on Tuesday.
The Eastern Updates reports the recovery of approximately 30,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) from the apprehended suspects.
Matthew Ovye explained that, acting on intelligence, an operation carried out by the Special Intelligence Squad of the corps’ Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, on December 8, resulted in the apprehension of four suspects and vehicles.
Furthermore, he noted that at 4:00 AM on Monday, December 11, the anti-vandal team of the NSCDC in Imo apprehended an additional suspect and impounded a vehicle.
According to him, the suspects were arrested at the Abacheke and Agwa communities of the Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta Local Government Areas of the state respectively.
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The commandant further said the command has largely decimated the activities of vandals in the state and would not rest on its oars until they are reduced to the barest minimum.
‘In the past, they used to move with trucks but now they use salon cars and smaller vehicles, meaning that we have really decimated them and they are now in hiding.’
‘With the C-G’s combined team and holistic synergy with sister agencies, we’ll nip this in the bud’, he said.
He assured that after investigations, the suspects will be subject to prosecution as part of the legal proceedings.
He urged residents of Imo to report any suspected crimes to security agencies, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerians.
Mr. Kingsley Ngwoli, one of the suspects from Ohaji-Egbema LGA, claimed that he unknowingly purchased the petroleum product along Abacheke Road, Oguta, without being aware that it was obtained through illegal bunkering.
