The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended three suspects in Rivers State.
The Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad made the arrest in Umuodo, Umuajuloke community, Omuma Local Government Area, Rivers State.
CSC Babawale Afolabi, Public Relations Officer at the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja, said in a statement on Sunday that the raid was made possible by consistent intelligence that an illicit oil refinery was located near the murder scene.
He said that many illegally refined petroleum products suspected of being Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were discovered.
“Based on credible intelligence, we swung into action and arrested three suspects at the crime scene with large quantities of illegally refined AGO already stored inside metallic drums while others were inside cellophane bags,” he said.
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Happiness Nwankwo, 45, an indigene of Omuma in Rivers State; Nnoma Nwankwo, 30, also from Rivers State; and Favour Amadi, also an indigene of Omuma, were the three apprehended suspects.
“Some exhibits recovered at the point of arrest are numerous drum ovens containing stolen and siphoned crude oil undergoing processing, industrial hoses used to tap into wellheads to syphon crude oil, large quantities of stolen crude oil stored inside cellophane bags and kegs, many metal and plastic buckets, wheelbarrows, shovels and galvanised metal pipes,” the statement said.
According to the statement, an investigation has begun to determine the involvement of the three suspects and the identity of their sponsors, and anyone found guilty at the conclusion of the investigation will face charges in court.
