Blessing Iruoma
Operatives of the Joint Tax Force (JTF) have arrested three suspected oil thieves who allegedly specialize in vandalising oil installations including wellheads, flowlines, pipeline and other installations with a view to stealing crude oil in Rivers state.
It was gathered that the suspects were caught breaking and removing wellhead installations of Belemaoil facilities within the Idama Oil Field in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.
The Nigerian Xpress learned that the vandals were arrested within the general area of OML-55 Field by men of 103 Battalion of the Nigerian Army acting on a tip-off base on credible intelligence.
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A source from the area revealed that the suspects had also vandalized two other Oil Wells within the Idama Oil Field before they were apprehended.
“The suspects completely vandalized all accessories of the Well-head and was about carting away the stolen items before they were apprehended by the military on general field patrol.
“On sighting the military, the vandals fled into the mangrove but luck ran out of the three who were arrested”.
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It was further gathered that several items including oil-well accessories were recovered from the suspects at the time of their arrest by the military.
“The suspects have been transferred to a higher authority in the military for further investigation and subsequent prosecution”, said the source.
It would be recall that a similar incident occurred in Aiteo oilfield where vandals destroyed wellhead and created uncontrollable wellhead fire outbreak leading to huge environmental pollution and nationwide outrage.