The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the arrest of three suspected oil thieves using a truck belonging to Dangote Cement Company to transport petroleum product believed to be stolen.
Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson for the anti-graft agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the suspects were arrested in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, by officers of the Second Brigade of the Nigerian Army during a routine check on vehicles.
He said, “The suspects were arrested by soldiers during a routine check. It was later discovered that instead of cement, the Dangote truck with Kano State registration number KNC 145 XA was conveying illegally refined petroleum product. The products were and were being conveyed to an unknown destination.”
The suspects concealed the petroleum products in huge cellophane bags numbering about 190 disguised as cement, according to EFCC.
“At the time of their arrest, the suspects could not produce any license that authorized them to deal in petroleum products. There was also no way bill to cover the conveyance of the said product,” Mr. Wilson who added that soldiers who arrested them handed over the suspects to the Uyo zonal office of the EFCC said.
Sahara Reporters had previously reported that Royal Dutch Shell, in its ‘Report on Payments to Governments for the Year 2017’ released on April 9 had said that it lost 9,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft from the pipeline networks of its Nigerian operation in 2017.
