Army arrests oil thieves in Bauchi

Suspected oil thieves at Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State have been arrested while a fuel tanker and other items used to siphon fuel from pipelines were impounded, the Nigerian Army has said.

The arrest and seizure were made by troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi.

Brigadier General Michael Durowaiye, the Brigade Commander, disclosed this to journalists on Monday while handing over the intercepted fuel tanker and other items used by the suspected oil thieves to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state, at the 33 Artillery Brigade headquarters in Bauchi.

Durowaiye who was represented by the Garrison Commander of the Brigade, Colonel Gabriel Osho, said that the suspected thieves, on sighting the army’s patrol vehicle, fled and abandoned the tanker and items used for their bunkering activities at the scene.

He said that the items recovered included a fuel tanker, two power generators, one hand pump, one pipe, one drilling machine, one welding machine, 26 welding electrodes rods, one X Vanier calliper and three drilling rods.

The Brigade Commander said, “We will continue to go after oil thieves and ensure that we arrest them to make sure that the whole place is devoid of such criminals.”

Speaking while receiving the tanker and the recovered items, the Commandant of the NSCDC in Bauchi, Halliru Alhassan, commended the army troops for arresting the suspects and recovering the items used for the illegal bunkering.

He lamented that their activities cost the country billions of naira and vowed to work closely with other security agencies and members of the public to ensure that suspects are arrested and prosecuted.

The Commandant was represented by Daniel Taki.