The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Enugu State command, has announced the arrest of a suspected key oil pipeline vandal Ibe Chukwunta.
The command said he was nabbed at his residence at Nnewe after a gun battle.
Chukwunta hails from Nenwe in Aninri Local Government Area of the state.
Items recovered from him included 24 jerry cans of gas, a single-barrel rifle, three bags of Indian hemp, a lighter, two cutlasses and a motorcycle.
The state commandant, Mr. Stephen Lar-Kaiyo said, “This is the kingpin of pipeline vandals in Enugu State; he provides protection for other vandals at his residence. We recovered petroleum products and Indian hemp from his home”.
He said that Chukwunta was well armed and on drugs.
Lar-Kaiyo said, “He was ready for war. He exchanged fire for fire with our personnel. As you can see, you can see empty shells of ammunition. It was a serious war. But due to the nature of our training on this kind of operation, we were able to overcome him and got him arrested.
You will wish to know that this arrest was made very early in the morning, around 5am. The products you are seeing here are the vandalised proceeds that the vandal got engaged in. The contents there are up to 900 litres, two bags of Indian hemp to facilitate his illegal operation.
You can also see a single-barrel gun with which he used to engage our personnel. He was alone when our men swooped on him. Apart from taking part in vandalism operations, he gives protection to the other vandals.
“It was like when others had left, he remained there with his own products. On storming his personal home, we discovered that his premises were being used to gather so many petroleum products such as these. We were able to get some of these in the vicinity of his house.
“NSCDC has intensified surveillance on NNPC pipelines, PHCN cables and other critical assets. They will make sure that the economy of this country will not be tampered with as oil is the main source of income in this country, the eagle eye of our men will be on them and they will be caught.”
Chukwunta claimed he was sleeping with his family when the NSCDC officers broke into his house and collected his hunting gun, adding that he is a hunter and farmer.
He kept mum when asked to explain the recovery of Indian hemp from his house.
Short of admitting that he was also an Indian hemp dealer, he admitted consuming the substance. He equally said that the oil he has in his house was red palm oil which he stores and sells when it becomes scarce.
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