LESS than 24 hours after their chairman, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, was decorated with awards by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) at Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, operatives of the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd (TSSNL), Ondo State chapter, have uncovered a large crude oil storage camp in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
TSSNL busted the camp in solid collaboration with operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Sunday morning, during which the latter engaged the cartel of crude oil thieves in a shootout.
The combined team of TSSNL and NSCDC,, after overpowering the criminal suspects in their camp along Alowe sea shore in Ilaje Local Government Area, destroyed 700 kegs containing 21,000 litres of crude oil stored in a large reservoir.
In a statement made available to Stonix News on Monday, the Executive Director, Operations and Technical Services of TSSNL, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, said the joint security team, which uncovered the economic sabotage at about 8:36a.m on Sunday around the western corridor after a tip-off, was led by the TSSNL commandant in Ondo State, Chief Idowu Asonja.
He said the voluminous crude oil, which was adulterated, stored in a large, locally-built reservoir and being sold to local buyers by the saboteurs, was suspectedly siphoned from the Trans-Escravos pipeline.
According to him, the suspects operating the illegal crude oil storage camp, seeing the game was over, fled the scene in their speed boats during the gun battle with NSCDC operatives.
“It’s indeed a successful, but stressful trip. Our agents in Awoye area hinted us about the perpetration of the evil act carried out in that area.
“It was a well fortified camp which the perpetrators believed was impenetrable for security agents, but we shocked them,” Captain Enisuoh quoted the leader of the team, Chief Asonja, as saying.
Captain Enisuoh further disclosed that all the 700 kegs containing 21,000 litres of adulterated crude oil, two wooden boats laden with crude oil as well as the entire illegal camp were set ablaze to serve as a deterrent to others.
Meanwhile, Captain Enisuoh quoted Chief Asonja as admonishing community dwellers in the Niger Delta, especially the Ilaje area, to desist from crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and its variants, urging them to support the war against economic sabotage being led by TSSNL so that the country can bounce back economically.