ABIA: NSCDC Arrests Chinese National Over Illegal Mining Activities, 14 Others For Oil Theft In Ukwa West
ABIA: NSCDC Arrests Chinese National Over Illegal Mining Activities, 14 Others For Oil Theft In Ukwa West
ABIA – The Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) under the leadership of Commandant U.I Alfadarai has arrested a Chinese national and one other person in Umunneochi L.G.A over allegations of operating a quarry on a site belonging to another company.
According to a statement by the NSCDC, the discovery and arrest of the Chinese followed a complaint filed by the original owner of the site (JINLOYS NIGERIA LIMITED), that Chinese people have illegally occupied his legally assigned site with license No. 22284QL and 46404QLS without his consent.
He added that the Chinese were allegedly mining and selling chippings and other stones not owned by them.
The statement, which was signed by Doreen Udugwu, the CDPRO, explained that “the Command, after a sustained surveillance carried out by the operatives of the command, who specialize in mining operations, raided the site located in Obichioke stone land in Mbiribo village of Uru Lokpaukwu autonomous community, Umuchieze, Umunneochi LGA”.
It noted that the illegal act would not be condoned in a country where the President Bola Tinubu administration was revolutionizing the economic sector to make it easy for businesses to flourish.
In the same vein, no fewer than 14 persons have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, for allegedly stealing crude oil in Abia State.
The development which was disclosed in a statement by the NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, on Wednesday, disclosed that the suspects, including nine males and four females, operated an illegal refinery in a forest at Umelehi, Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.
He attributed the successful arrests to credible intelligence provided to the Corps by well-meaning Nigerians.
“Our operatives were strategically positioned due to the quantity of already siphoned crude oil which were loaded in locally fabricated cooking ovens for refining into Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
“Some had been refined into Kerosene and AGO with both stored in GP tanks, cellophane bags and many sacks,” he said.
Afolabi pledged that a thorough investigation would be carried out to ascertain the level of involvement of the suspects.
According to the NSCDC spokesperson, generator sets, pumping machines, hoses, galvanised metal pipes, shovels, head flashlights, cellophane bags, and bags of cement were recovered from the suspects.
© Daniel Chibuike