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Edo State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC has arrested four operatives of the Association of Nigerian Refineries and Petroleum Marketers, ANRPM, for allegedly arresting a northern bound truck laden with suspected stolen Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, without recourse to the agency.

This was made known Friday in a telephone interview with the National Taskforce Chairman of the ANRPM, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro who frowned at the arrest and detention of his men led by Abanor N. Michael, saying his agency was legally approved to fight pipeline vandalism, oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, and sundry crimes in the downstream oil industry, stating that Udeyok was only jittery over the development as his men handed over the suspected oil thieves to the police on account of which he accused the NSCDC boss, Aniekan Udeyok, of engaging in a fight laden with conflict of interests.

Eshanekpe gave the registration number of the arrested truck as: XA801- HKN, a Mack truck, and the names of the operatives of the ANRPM, who are in the custody of Udeyok as Eugene Asemota, Osas Orobo, Airhunmwende Ikponwosa and Ochuko, stating they have been in the custody since on Thursday.

Eshanekpe stated that “ANRPM is a registered body empowered to wage war against oil thieves across the country.”

Narrating the ordeal of his men, the ex-militant leader stated that his men on duty along the busy Benin – Sapele road apprehended a fully loaded truck with suspected stolen AGO and consequently handed them over to the police and the trucks were parked at the premises of the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Edo State Police Command for interrogation of the suspects and further actions by the authority.

According to him, the men of the ANRPM have done no wrong to be arrested and detained for fighting crimes in the oil sector, accusing Udeyok of being hand-in-glove with economic saboteurs and oil thieves, stating that his men have been in the custody of the NSCDC for 48 hours running.

The ANRPM scribe said the NSCDC boss was biting more than he can chew in his arbitrariness and recklessness as he called on the Presidency to investigate the activities of the men of civil defense in the downstream oil sector, particularly in the Niger Delta region.

He explained further that at the inauguration of the Edo State executives recently, the NSCDC and all other arms of security agencies including the police, army, were informed of the establishment of the body in the big heart state but for the love of alleged shoddy dealing with criminals, Udeyok went on a personal vendetta to frustrate the fight against vandalism.

“What is wrong in arresting suspected criminals if not for the anger of impeding returns from the perpetrators of oil theft to law enforcement agency for love of corruption and underhand dealings? We arrested suspected criminals and a supposed chief security officer is somewhere roaring hurtfully for want of returns, the FG must as a matter of urgency investigate the activities of rogue security operatives in the Niger Delta region.

“Most insulting of all was that the men of NSCDC were led by an army officer, who was exuded brute force in arresting my men for no reason. He is Lieutenant Colonel (names withheld) from the 4th Mechanised Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Benin City, who bundled the crime fighters into a waiting van and we were told the drivers of the arrested trucks were loyal in alleged daily remittance to the security men on the road, lamenting their arrest and subsequent handover to the police.

“The Lieutenant Col took the arrest personal because it touches perhaps on his economic wellbeing. That’s how they operate and this menace is what ANRPM has come to challenge,” the visibly livid Eshanekpe stated, warning that should such repeat itself again, his men will not hesitate to resist any attempt at frustrating the war on oil thieves in the country.

Confirming the incident, the Edo State Commandant of the NSCDC, Udeyok said the ANRPM operatives were arrested and detained for lacking the powers to arrest any truck be it laden with stolen petroleum products or not and that the police has no right to seize the trucks because the law he said, empowers on his agency to so do.

According to Udeyok, “Until the drivers and their trucks are freed by the police, I won’t let go the ARMPM men at best, I will charge them to court. It’s our jurisdiction to effect the arrest of suspected oil marketers and no other agency should interfere with our operations. The police have no right to arrest and detain any truck laden with products under any guise. I decide who is arrested or not and any ANRPM or the police.”