By Saidu Idris
365Daily – Two suspects involved in the adulteration of diesel have been apprehended by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service.
They were caught with 45,000 litres of adulterated Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), known as diesel.
Theirbarrest was disclosed by Mr Hussein Ejibunu, Deputy Comptroller, CGC Strike Force, Headquarters, during the handing over of the suspects and the seized product to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Abuja on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
Ejibunu, who spoke with journalists at the Karu warehouse in Abuja, said the AGO, packaged in cellophane bags, was concealed with sacks of sawdust in a trailer.
He explained that each of the sacks contained 60 litres of the adulterated diesel in 750 sacks.
He said: “This ugly development is an act of economic sabotage. Preliminary investigation revealed that the trailer left Port-Harcourt and was heading to Tafa Local Government of Kaduna State before it was intercepted along Keffi-Nasarawa-Toto-Abaji road at about 2 a.m on Friday.
“It takes an intelligent work of our officers and men to accost the vehicle and detect the adulterated AGO.
“We will continue to work to ensure that smugglers and those involved in economic sabotage are arrested and prosecuted” he said.
Commandant of the NSCDC Anti Vandalism Unit, Mr Paul Igwebuike, who received the seized product and the suspects, commended the NCS for apprehending them.
Igwebuike noted that this development had shown the synergy between security agencies in the country.
He said his organisation would continue with the investigation and ensure that offenders of this economic sabotage were prosecuted.
Nasiru Ali, one of the suspects, said he was just a driver and had no knowledge or implication transporting the product.
Ali said the owner was with him in the truck but fled on sighting the customs officials on the road.