The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Tuesday said it had arrested six persons for alleged involvement in illegal crude oil refining.
The commandant of NSCDC Lagos, Mr Ayinla Adeyinka, confirmed the arrest to the News Agence of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos on Tuesday.
Adeyinka was reacting to a fire outbreak at an illegal crude oil refining depot at Oregun, Ikeja Local Development Council, on Tuesday.
According to the commandant, the officials cited a fiery furnace at Oregun at 2 pm on July 14, and the command activated its disaster team with no fewer than 10 officials from it Emergency Response Unit deployed to the scene.
He stated that the suspects were arrested at the scene while some of the containers being used in the illegal act and sale of their product were confiscated.
“The command has conducted its preminary invistigations.
“NSCDC Lagos will still conduct indept investigations on the the state of the crude oil to get the members of the criminal gang,” the commandant said.
The Commandant of NSCDC urged Lagos residends with knowledge of such criminal activities to report to the corps and warned residents on dangers of not reporting the activists of such hoodlum on time.
Adeyinka said NSCDC Lagos command would not relent in bringing illegal oil dealers to book.
The leader of Lagos NSCDC response crew to the scene, Mr Olajide Elijah, also confirmed to NAN that the team intercepted over 18,000 liters of oil products in numerous containers awaiting to be sold.
One of the six suspects arrested, Alaba Solanke, 25, from Ogun State confessed that he was a diesel distributor for one Ngozi Chioma, a female, who is now at large.
Solanke, however, claimed that Chioma normally got her diesel from the depot of an independent petroleum marketer in the area.
“I was in the mosque and I was told that our shop caught fire, I was there to help when officials of NSCDC rounded us up.
Another suspect, Jacob Wusu, 50, who claimed to be the former Chief of Staff to a titled man denied membership of the cartel.
Another suspect, Alex Chukwudi, 42, a Delta State indigene, also claimed that he only carried out Japanese cars metainance at the location of the incident.
