At least six suspects have been nabbed in connection with criminal conspiracy, illegal dealing in petroleum products and impersonation on the Calabar-Itu highway, Akwa Ibom State.
NIGERIACRIME learned that the suspects were apprehended by personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of the state command.
The development was conveyed to the press on Wednesday by the NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Eluyemi Eluwade, who disclosed that the suspects were nabbed on January 29 by operatives of the anti-vandal squad after a tip-off.
Furthermore, the commandant told newsmen at the press briefing that a MAC truck used by the suspects to convey the illegal products was also impounded during the operations.
The commandant stated that a Toyota Camry car used for escorting and clearing the way for the truck to pass through checkpoints without scrutiny was also impounded.
He said that the suspects, who were acting as a joint task force of a security agency, were escorting the truck conveying aboutliters0 litres of diesel to an unknown destination without requisite documents.
“The command, acting on intelligence information, deployed its personnel, who intercepted the suspects on the Calabar-Itu highway,” he said.
Eluwade further stated that the suspects were currently undergoing investigations at the NSCDC state command headquarters.
He warned perpetrators of illegalities in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry to refrain from their nefarious activities.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command said it has arrested four suspected kidnappers in Kano State after allegedly collecting ransom from their victims in Edo.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, who disclosed this to newsmen, said the suspects were arrested by the Anti- kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit of the command.
Nwabuzor gave the names of the four suspects as Aminu Sadio (24), Umar Aminu (22), Adamu Abubakar (30) and Adamu Tahir (30).
He said the police received a report of the kidnap of four persons at Fugar in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State on January 23 and the alleged collection of ransom by the kidnappers through Union Bank and Moniepoint, respectively.
The command’s image maker said the police, using intelligence-based investigation, arrested Aminu Sadio and Umar Aminu, owners of the two accounts that received the ransom.
He added that the arrest of the duo led to the arrest of other two accomplices, namely, Adamu Abubakar and Adamu Tahir.