Sixteen persons have been nabbed and paraded in Abia State by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for alleged vandalism, oil bunkering and dealing in illegal petroleum products.
This is even as the the NSCDC has declared a zero tolerance for all forms of vandalism, oil theft or sabotage on government facilities.
The Abia State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Vincent Ogu, made this known in Umuahia while parading the suspects, noting that the men of his command were prepared to tackle criminal and unpatriotic activities in the State.
He stated that a truck carrying 30,000 liters suspected petrol products with registration number GYA611XA was impounded by his men on March 17 at Ubakala junction, Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway, while four occupants of the truck, Babangida Salah, Bukar Ali, Abubakar Ibrahim and Mohammed Mohammed were arrested.
He added that three other suspects conveying 10 drums of petrol products hidden in a white-coloured Volkswagen vehicle with registration number, EZA879XA were arrested by men of the Command at Ihie, Ugwunagbo LGA on the same March 17, 2021.
The NSCDC Commandant further stated that six alleged merchants of adulterated petroleum products and bunkerers were arrested at Imo gate, Ukwa West LGA of the State even as a truck with 20,000 suspected petroleum products were recovered from a group of three suspects at Umuika junction, Isiala Ngwa South, with the suspects also arrested.
He gave the vehicle registration number of the seized truck as NSR311XA, even as a Toyota Camry, marked KpR413EE with suspected petroleum products was also allegedly abandoned by the occupants of the Toyota Camry, who according to him, abandoned the car and fled on sighting Civil Defence men on duty.
Ogu assured that all the arrested suspects would be charged to Court for prosecution.
Meanwhile, five suspected criminals had been convicted in Courts of law in Abia State in the last five months , after they were charged to Court by the Command.