By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ebonyi Command, said it has uncovered a suspected illegal petroleum refinery in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The corps said it impounded an articulated vehicle with number plate Abuja ? ABC 624 XC carrying 45,000 litres of suspected illegal unrefined petroleum product about to discharge a suspected stolen unrefined petroleum product at the ?refinery.?

Mr Francis Nnadi, NSCDC?s State Commandant announced this in a press conference on Monday in Abakaliki, noting that four suspected oil thieves involved in the illegal transportation of the product were also arrested.

He said that the product was designated to a location in Cross River State but was diverted to Abakaliki where it was to be discharged in an unlicensed dump suspected to be used for illegal petroleum refining activities.

?Our men on Saturday night, acting on credible intelligence tracked a truck laddened with unrefined suspected petroleum product conveyed from Cross River to Abakaliki.

?The vehicle and four suspects involved in the illegal activity were arrested at a remote but, densely populated area located at 18 Engr. Abbas Egwu Street off Ebonyi Voice Newspaper along the Old Abakaliki ? Enugu Road.

?The place is suspected to be used for illegal refining of petroleum products in the state.

?On interrogation,the driver said he trans-loaded the product from another truck adding that the waybill read somewhere in Cross River.

?The danger is not that they are doing this illegal refining in a densely populated environment, every petroleum product is inflammable, is hazardous and it?s been located in an environment where people are living,? Nnadi said.

He warned people who engage in economic sabotage including; pipeline vandalism, oil bunkering, illegal refining and sales of petroleum products and vandalism of public infrastructure for economics gains to desist or risk arrest and prosecution in law court.

?I want to use this opportunity to tell those who indulge in these illegal acts to desist henceforth otherwise, the long arm of the law will catch up with them; I assure residents of the state that Ebonyi will be crime free,? he added.

He said that the premises used for the alleged illegal refinery has been sealed stressing that further investigations were ongoing to unmask those involved in the economic sabotage.

He noted that the impounded product would undergo laboratory analysis while the suspects would be arraigned in court at the end of investigation.

The Commandant harped on the need for robust synergy among various security formations and the people for enhanced security surveillance and combating of crime especially in the Yuletide season.

He commended the corps Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi, for sending him to Ebonyi and assured of effective service delivery.

?I thank the CG, Dr Ahmed Audi for sending me to this state and I want to tell the Gov. Francis Nwifuru that we are here to help him secure the state.?

Meanwhile, Mr Ben Nwachi, the officer who led the NSCDC crack team that intercepted and arrested the suspects in an interview said that the suspected product according to the dispatch manifest was labelled ?Low Poor Fuel Oil (LPFO).

He added that the truck was designated for Cross River at the loading depot according to the waybill but, was diverted to the illegal refinery in Abakaliki.

?The truck is billed to go to Cross River and according to the waybill what is written there is Low Poor Fuel Oil but, it is a suspected crude oil product.

?They want to come and discharge it at the illegal refining site, here in Abakaliki, they have bought some GP tanks and have even gone to buy more and other materials used for the illegal refining business.

?We got the information and intercepted them; this truck carrying the product was not the original truck that loaded it at the depot according to their waybill, this is a different truck entirely.

?Again, they have locked the truck?s three compartments up and the discharging point down such that nobody is even sure whether what is in the waybill is actually what the truck is carrying.

?So, they wanted to discharge the product in an unregistered and unlicensed outlet; you don?t discharge petroleum product in that manner, it?s from depot to a licensed outlet,? Nwachi said.

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