Good News: Read what is happening to pipeline vandals, oil bunkerers presently

– Dr Benito Eze, the Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Abia, on Saturday, July 9 spoke on what the Corps has achieved so far

– Dr Eze stated that 33 suspected pipeline vandals and oil bunkerers are currently facing prosecution at the Federal High Court, Umuahia, the capital of Abia state

– Some of the suspected oil thieves were paraded before journalists at the NSCDC’s office

The NSCDC Abia state Commander this while parading two suspected oil bunkerers before journalists at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia, the Abia state capital.

Dr Eze added that the suspects, Charles Nwachukwu, who is 45 years and Ayo Banjo,  were arrested on Friday at the Aba end of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, following a tip off.

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The Commander observed that they were arrested while conveying blue gas in a 2000-capacity MAN Diesel truck with Reg. No. Plateau: LGT 458 XA.

Faces of pipeline vandals nabbed by the NSCDC

The NSCDC number one man in Abia state further said that the command secured eight convictions from June 2015 to date and the convicts were presently serving various jail terms in different prisons in the state.

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Eze said that the NSCDC was enjoyingso much supportwith the judiciary and hoped that the pending cases would soon be cleared. He added that “we do not have any challenge with prosecution because the judiciary is collaborating with us to ensure that our cases did not suffer undue delay.”

He restated the determination of the command toward reducing the rate of pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering in Abia and warned those who engaged in the crime to stop it.

“We are committed to accomplish our core mandate of protecting pipelines and government infrastructure. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to apprehend and bring suspects to book.”

While speaking with journalists, one of the suspects, Nwachukwu, who was the driver of the truck, admitted committing the alleged offence. He said that he was paid N30,000 by one Michael Chukwu, who owned the truck, to transport the consignment from Port Harcourt to Owerri.

He added that although he knew it was an illegal business, he was compelled to accept the job because of the harsh economic condition in the country. He absolved Banjo, who is an automobile mechanic, of complicity in the alleged crime.

He said that he invited Banjo from Owerri to come and fix the truck, when it broke down on the expressway, while on his way back. Banjo said he joined the truck after fixing it before they were arrested on their way back to Owerri, adding that the truck conductor escaped arrest. Meanwhile, the commander said that the suspects would be charged to court at the end of the ongoing investigation.

About a month ago, one personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps was shot during the attack in the Niger Delta region.

The post Good News: Read what is happening to pipeline vandals, oil bunkerers presently appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Nigerian newspapers 24/7.

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