The Kogi State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), following recent discovery of illegal refinery in the state, has arrested a suspected operator and set the site ablaze.
The refinery is located at Asusi village along Okene-Auchi road in Okene Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commandant of the Corps, Mr Adesuyi Dayo Clement told newsmen, at the weekend, in Lokoja,the state capital, that the command got the information through intelligent report, after which it deployed some operatives in the area on surveillance for two weeks, before “we moved in for the arrest.”
He assured that his men would not fold their hands and allow pipeline vandals destroy the nation’s economy, adding that the Command was battle-ready to continue in its efforts to foil the activities of economic saboteurs and illegal refineries in the state.
He informed: “ that the vandals are bent on destroying the nation’s economy while the Command would intensify efforts to stop criminal activities of the pipeline vandals in the state.”
The state commandant said that a total of 65 drums of petrol and diesel already refined were found, adding that a person was arrested in connection with the incident while other suspects escaped with varying degree of injuries, after the gun battle with his men .
Adesuyi explained that the vandals had perfected strategies to continue to siphon crude oil to their illegal refinery with long pipe and pipe blade to mix the petrol and diesel together.
