The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC at the weekend, paraded eight fake naval officers, arrested for illegally escorting a vessel laden with stolen petroleum products. The NSCDC Commandant in Rivers State, Muktar Lawal, paraded the fake Naval officers, along with 29 other suspected oil thieves and 13 seized petrol tankers, in Port Harcourt.
Lawal disclosed that the eight fake Naval officers were arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, onboard a vessel, MV Sandust. He disclosed that the arrested suspects were being investigated for possible prosecution while reiterating the Corps’ commitment to protecting the nation’s critical assets and infrastructure.
“The command is parading 37 suspected oil thieves, 13 trucks, 18 drums containing suspected adulterated stolen petroleum products, one bus, five cars, one pumping machine, 37 pieces of suspected vandalised railway clips, four suspected railway slippers, a cylinder and a torchlight suspected to be used for act of vandalism.
“On April 9, 2021, the Nigeria Navy Ship Pathfinder Port Harcourt, handed over eight suspects to the command arrested for alleged naval impersonation and illegal escort duty onboard a security boat MV Sandust.
“The fight against vandalism along the rail tracks and all oil installations in Rivers State is still ongoing and will not stop until vandals stay off the critical national assets and infrastructure in the state.”