RismadarVoice Reporters
March 18, 2026
Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have uncovered a warehouse allegedly used for storing stolen crude oil in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The discovery was made by personnel of the Corps’ Anti-Vandal Unit following days of intelligence gathering, according to a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Ihemnacho Umeado.
Preliminary findings indicate that the crude oil believed to have been siphoned from vandalised pipelines was stored in GP tanks at an isolated facility, possibly in preparation for further illegal processing or distribution. Authorities said the exact quantity of the product recovered had yet to be determined.
The State Commandant, Joachin Okafor, who visited the site for an on-the-spot assessment, reiterated the Corps’ commitment to tackling illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.
He warned perpetrators to desist from such activities or face prosecution, stressing that illicit oil operations pose serious economic and environmental risks.
Okafor also directed the command’s Intelligence Department to conduct a comprehensive investigation to identify those responsible and trace the origin of the crude.
The latest operation comes amid ongoing efforts by security agencies to curb oil theft in the Niger Delta.
In a related development last year, NSCDC operatives uncovered an illegal oil dump in Etche Local Government Area, where adulterated petroleum products were seized at an abandoned site.
