An attempt to destroy a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at a tank farm in Calabar has been thwarted by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in Cross River State.
The suspected vandal identified as Gabriel Ajom was paraded by Mr. Samuel Fadeyi, Commandant of the NSCDC in Cross River State on Monday.
Mr. Fadeyi said the suspect who is a security guard attached to a moribund tank farm, where the pipeline is connected was apprehended by his troops while on surveillance patrol with the Latee Jay firm’s maintenance unit, a private company that monitors pipelines in the state.
Items recovered at the site of the incident include, a shovel, connecting pipes, buckets and knives.
He said, during the surveillance, they noticed a small collapse hole around the area, suggesting that there was a pit in between.
“The NSCDC officials dug the hole and they discovered that it was actually a tunnel, leading from the moribund tank farm, Mettle Energy and Gas, into the pipeline.
“Further investigation showed that they had some equipment which they were actually going to use to connect to the pipeline, breach it and then syphon petroleum product.
“This whole digging took place underground, such that one will not know what was going on. The tunnel leads to the tank farm at one end and the other leads to the pipeline.
“We have commenced investigation, and the suspect is helping to give us credible information on those behind this illegal act,” he said
According to him, the act was committed by a cartel. He noted that the NSCDC personnel would also arrest those at large.
The NSCDC commandant said “Oil theft has been a major problem; in fact, it has dominated the major discourse in the country right now because of the effect on the nation’s economy.
“Last week, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Abubakar Audi, read a Riot Act to commands in the Niger Delta particularly on the need to strengthen the anti-vandal team.
“That message was passed unto my men and you can see the result. I can assure you that the perpetrators of this act won’t be spared,” he said.
The suspect, Ajom, confessed to the crime, saying, he was lured by two men who said they wanted to help him make money and asked that he permits them to dig the pipleine.
“They asked me not to panic that I was going to make huge amount of money. They gave me N500 on the first day they came.
“They went and brought people from Port Harcourt, who dug this tunnel day and night. They promised that when they want to lay the pipes, they will give me huge amount of money.” he added.
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