From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has discovered and dismantled an illegal diesel depot in Ore, Headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area in Ondo State.
It was gathered that a total of 37, 000 litres of refined diesel was seized at the depot.
The NSCDC, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Femi Omole, alleged that the depot was used as storage base after engaging in oil pipeline vandalism on the high sea and the creeks in the Niger Delta region.
He said the discovery was made possible through sustained and credible intelligence.
He said: “Some criminal elements and saboteurs used the arena as a storage base after engaging in oil pipeline vandalism on the high sea and the creeks in the Niger Delta region. They transport the illegally refined products through badges and boats to the coastal areas of Ondo State, mostly Agadagba and Ijaw, among others.
“These unscrupulous elements would defiantly proceed by conveying the products, using buses, jeeps and cars, to where it would finally be stored in the surface tanks located in Ore town.
“Investigation further revealed that Ore town, in Ondo State, is fast becoming the headquarters of illegal surface depot in the South West as most tankers do load adulterated diesel, via surface tanks, and distribute for sales across Nigeria. Around 12:45am on the said date, the Command Antivandal Squad, tactically invaded the scene of the crime; the suspects, however, ran away on sighting our men due to the fact that they were acquainted with the terrain,” he added.
Some of the exhibits recovered from the scene, according to Omole, include a Toyota Sequoia Jeep, a Toyota Camry car, one pumping machine, two industrial hose pipes, 70 kegs of 30 litres AGO and 35,000 litres of suspected adulterated Automative Gas Oil (AGO).
The NSCDC boss issued a stern warning against perpetrators of Illegal dealings in petroleum products, oil pipeline vandals and destroyers of critical national assets and infrastructure, to stop the economic sabotage or face full wrath of the law.
