Taskforce Uncovers Alleged Illegal Oil Refinery In Anambra

 

By Tobias Ekirika

A Combined Task Force comprising  the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Navy, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Chief of Defence Staff Committee on Vandalization, on Sunday, destroyed tons of crude petroleum after uncovering alleged illegal refinery operated by one Transtell Company and Envoy Group in Onitsha, Anambra state.

Personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) through intelligence, stormed the facility with other security agencies, and subsequently evacuated the crude petroleum after discovering what appeared to be illegal refinery run within the premises of the company where vegetable oil is also produced.

The combined taskforce team thereafter, moved truck loads of the crude to a safe place - within the second Niger Bridge area - where it was destroyed to serve as deterrent to others who might want to commit similar crime. 

The destruction of the crude oil was witnessed by the combined taskforce team from NSCDC, Army, Navy, Chief of defense staff committee on vandalization and journalists.

In an interview with newsmen during the exercise, spokesperson of the joint taskforce, Assistant Commandant Chinweze Chinenye, who is the AC Operation, NSCDC, Anambra state command, said that the factory, Transtell Company and Envoy Group, located at No. 20 GMO road, Abor  Industrial Layout, near Onitsha, pretended that they produce palm canel and veritable oil etc; but that when the JTF stormed the premises, it was discovered that the factory also operate what could be called illegal refinery within the facility.

"They said that they produce veritable oil, palm canel oil and others, but at the back of the factory, we discovered crude and refined low density oil in very large quantities. That proved that they also run illegal refinery," he said.

Chinweze, who represented the Anambra state Commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Maku Adekunle, said though no arrests were made, yet, investigations would continue until they arrive at the root of the matter.

Similarly the Chief Security Officer of the Transtell Group, Mr. Ralph Njoku, has denied the social media report which claimed that soldiers from the 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, molested and threatened to kill staff of the company, and also syphoned the company's vegetable oil products worth two hundred million naira (N200,000,000).

While speaking with journalists that visited the company on Sunday, June 22, the security officer expressed surprise, saying that such information did not emanate from the company, and  such a thing did not happen in the organization.

His words, "I was surprised when I came across the news that personnel of the Nigerian Army invaded our facility and carted away with our products worth millions of naira. Nothing like that happened in Transtell factory. 

He continued "What actually happened was that personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in the company of other security agencies, evacuated and destroyed the crude found in our company. That evacuation of suspected crude was monitored by the company's security men, including myself, who is the Chief Security Officer. 

"The joint taskforce did not do it alone,  all of us are here, witnessed everything, nothing in Transtell factory was tampered with; nobody was molested, and no facility was vandalized. The social media report was, to say the least, mischievous, misleading, damaging and untrue."