NSCDC Arrests Vandal At NNPC Pipeline In Calabar

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in Cross River has arrested a suspected vandal in Calavar.

The suspect was nabbed while trying to break a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the tank farm in Calabar.

While parading the suspect on Monday, the Commandant of NSCDC in Cross River, Samuel Fadeyi, said he was arrested on Aug. 26, 2022. 

He said the suspect, Gabriel Ajom, is the security personnel of the moribund tank farm, Mettle Energy and Gas, to where the pipeline was connected to other suspects according to Fadeyi are currently on the run.

He said the suspect was arrested by his men on surveillance patrol alongside the maintenance unit of Late Jay company, a private outfit involved in the monitoring of pipelines in the state.

“NSCDC officials dug the hole and they discovered that it was actually a tunnel, leading from the moribund tank farm, Mettle Energy and Gas, into the pipeline.

“Further investigation showed that they had some equipment which they were actually going to use to connect to the pipeline, breach it and then syphon petroleum product.

“This whole digging took place underground, such that one will not know what was going on.

"The tunnel leads to the tank farm at one end and the other leads to the pipeline.

"We have commenced an investigation, and the suspect is helping to give us credible information on those behind this illegal act,” he explained.

He said that the distance of the tunnel to the NNPC pipeline was about 100 meters, adding that the suspect had already finished the digging and was waiting to connect their own pipe to the NNPC pipeline.

The suspect, Gabriel Ajom, confessed to the crime, saying that he was promised large sums of money by those who involved him in the illegal act.

“Two men came into my office and said they want to help me make some money.

"They asked me to allow them to dig the pipeline and I did.

"They asked me not to panic, that I was going to make a huge amount of money.

"They gave me N500 on the first day they came.

“They went and brought people from Portharcourt who dug this tunnel day and night.

"They promised that when they want to lay the pipes, they will give me a huge amount of money,” he said.