Abia Police Nab Fake EFCC Official

The Abia Police have arrested a 31-year-old man who allegedly presented himself as an official of the EFCC and has been duping unsuspected petroleum product dealers in Aba.

The man, who hails from Okada Local Government Area of Edo, was arrested on Thursday with the assistance of members of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IMPAN), Aba Chapter.

But for the timely intervention of the police and IMPAN officials, the man would have been lynched by a mob at Osisioma, in Aba, for allegedly duping a dealer of N60,000.

On interrogation by the Aba Area Police Commander, Mr Rabiu Dayi, the suspect allegedly confessed that he impersonated as an EFCC official.

He, however, said he only went to the filling station to harass the dealer for selling adulterated fuel to him in February, and denied collecting money from the dealer.

The suspect claimed to be a former staff of the anti-graft agency, who left this year after working at the headquarters in Abuja in the Investigation Department under one Mr Shedrack for two years.

“I am no longer with the agency, I cannot lie to you. I worked in the Investigation Department under Mr Shedrack, as a graduate with the rank of “DSP’’, he told newsmen.

The suspect, who claimed to be a graduate of Engineering and a former “DSP” with the agency, could, however, not give the meaning of “DSP”.

He also said he had never attended any course relating to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police

In another development,  oil producing communities in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia have complained over the alleged delay by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in cleaning up areas recently affected by an oil spillage.

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), made the protest in a letter to SPDCon behalf of the communities.

The letter, signed by Mr Nnanna Nwaofor and two others, was made available to newsmen in Aba recently.

The affected communities are Umuorie, Umukalu, Umuituru, Orborhia, Umuebulumgwu, Obohia and Obeku.

In the letter addressed to the Superintendent, SPDC’s Port Harcourt District 2, Owaza flow station in Ukwa West Local Government Area, the group lamented the delay in cleaning up the affected communities.

They said that the spillage posed serious environmental hazards to the areas.

It said the failure to stop the spillage from a river in Bonny, Rivers, had continually adversely affected the source of drinking water of the people.

It stated that the spillage had destroyed the aquatic life and perennial crops of the seven communities.

The organisation gave SPDC 14 working days to clean up the spillage site and pay compensation to the affected communities.

It would be recalled that on Aug. 25, an oil spillage occurred at SPDC’s collecting tank at Canoe’s Park Creek, Location One, Isimiri oil field