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The Abia State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, said it has discovered an illegal refinery being operated inside a bush in Isiala Ihie community of Ugwunagbo LGA of Abia State.
The command also arrested two suspects in the area and discovered large quantities of petroleum products suspected to have been tapped from a nearby vandalised petroleum pipeline.
The arrest was made by the Crack Squad when it uncovered an illegal refinery cleverly hidden in the forest of Isiala Ihie community, according to a press statement by Doreen Udugwu, the Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Command of NSCDC.
Read Also: PH Refinery Revival Adds 860k BPD To National Supply
According to the statement, during the sting operation, large quantities of petroleum products at various stages of processing were seized by the crack squad.
While addressing journalists on Wednesday in his office, the commandant of NSCDC in Abia State, Akinsola Aderemi, disclosed that further investigations would be carried out to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in the dastardly act.
He noted that the busting of the illegal refinery and arrest of the suspects were in line with the directive of the Commandant General of NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to fight against illegal bunkering.
Akinsola said the Abia State Command will spare no effort in ensuring that the state remains safe and secure for all law-abiding citizens.
He further called upon the public to collaborate with NSCDC by providing credible intelligence that would aid the arrest of criminal-minded persons.
In other news, the resumption of production at the Port Harcourt Refinery has led to a notable 67.7 percent increase in Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, now standing at 860,000 barrels per day (bpd), up from 650,000 bpd. This boost, announced yesterday, marks an important step in the nation’s efforts to improve refining output and reduce reliance on imports.
The country’s energy demands, before operations commenced, were met largely through the 650,000 bpd production from the Dangote Refinery, alongside imported products. This dual approach highlighted the nation’s reliance on both domestic refining and foreign supplies.
