Abia: NSCDC destroys 10 illegal modular refineries
By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Ten illegal Modular Refineries operating in Okohia and Owaza Oil bearing Communities in Abia state have been destroyed by the state Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The state Commandant of the Corps, Ayinla Olowo, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Umuahia on the Command’s strategic efforts to clampdown on dealers of illegal petroleum products and refineries in the state.
Commandant Olowo said: “The Command’s efforts paid off when its operatives made a major breakthrough in seven hours’ operation at Okohia and Owaza in Okwa-West Local Government Area of the state.”
According to him, the first thing his team did was to destroy the pipes supplying products from Shell Petroleum Pipelines to the 10 Cooking Pots used for the refining of crude inside the forest before setting six of the pots ablaze, while four were left to avoid fire that could cause collateral damage to farmlands, economic trees and major Shell Pipelines.
Commandant Olowo, who noted that the Command had succeeded in frustrating and putting an end to the activities of the operators of the illegal refineries in the state, lamented that the perpetrator’s of the evil act had fled the area before the operatives arrived at the scene of the incident.
He, however, commended his operatives for executing the operation professionally, which helped to prevent fire outbreak and other forms of environmental pollution in the area.
Commandant Olowo, who reiterated that the leadership of the Corps under Commandant General Ahmed Audu has zero tolerance for vandalism and illegal dealings in petroleum products, admonished the youths in the area to engage themselves in legitimate means of livelihood and avoid crime and criminality, saying the idea behind the operation was to put both the sellers and buyers of stolen petroleum products out of business.
He, therefore, assured that the Command is partnering with the natives and well meaning people to fish out bad eggs among them.