Cross River State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has impounded 16,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.
Commandant of the Service in the State, Samuel Fadeyi, said the stolen products which are mainly Automotive Gas Oil also known as diesel, were stored in drums and gallons and hidden at trailer parks across the state.
Fadeyi said this while speaking with journalists on Monday in Calabar and inspecting the seized petroleum products. He said the search became necessary following an instruction from the Commandant General of NSCDC that some illegal activities were going on in parks.
He said it was discovered upon their arrival at the trailer parks in Cross River that the hawkers had stored and hidden a lot of the petroleum product in drums.
“Some of the places we went to, we met a lot of hostilities, so we make sure that we destroy the capacity of the perpetrators from continuing in the business and quickly exit the area to avoid human casualties.
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“Some of these hawkers work like cartels, once they see security officials they attack and escape but we make sure we impound the products,” Fadeyi said.
He further disclosed that he had contacted the leadership of the parks and their unions for a meeting because of the negative impact the activities of the hawkers have on their integrity.
He said the operation wasn’t a witch-hunt but to send a strong message because of the negative impact of the activities of the hawkers on the nation’s economy and the environment through smuggling and adulteration.
Faseyi commended the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory and Sector 4, Operation Delta Safe, for joining the corps during the operation to impound and arrest smugglers of petroleum products from Nigeria to Cameroon.
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