Kpofire In City Centre

As the onslaught against illegal refineries, “Kpofire ” across Rivers State state intensifies Obio/Akpor Local Government Area seems to be uncovering more sites than others.
Even before the governor, Chief Nyesom Wike announced a price tag for each local government area that records the highest success in their domain during a meeting with the council chairmen in Government House on Wednesday, Obio/Akpor chairman, Barrister George Ariolu had been on the news for the past one week
Within the local government area about five ” kpofire” sites or artisanal refining dumps have been uncovered. Two at Iriebe two at Ogbogoro and another at Rumuosi.
The most shocking one was the one discovered in the heart of new Government Reserved Area(GRA) bordering Eligbam and Rumueme communities.
The premises which has since been sealed by the council authorities after it was discovered sits close to residential area and has been under guise for many months before reports reached the authorities.
A resident of the area who pleaded anonymity told The Tide ,” we only see trucks come in and leave daily and we thought that it was a construction site or a company warehouse.”
Recently however, Barrister Ariolu’s breakthrough had pitched him against officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSDC) at their dumpsite at Ogbogoro.
Officials of the security agency had resisted the chairman and his team when he came to confirm whether their dumpsite was used by illegal refinery operators as cover up.
The chairman had on reaching the dump site alerted newsmen of the alleged deals and cover ups the “Kpofire ” operators use the security operatives for their illegal business.
But the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rivers State Command has debunked the claims of the council chairman.
In a statement it released after video of the chairman’s visit were displayed on social media, the agency said the site located at NSCDC Jetty, Ogbogoro community in Obio-Akpor local government area, was not a bunkery site.
Briefing newsmen at the NSCDC Jetty Ogbogoro, the State Commandant, Aliyu Bature, said that the place in question is their Marine exhibit yard where arrested suspected oil thieves and illegal petroleum products are paraded.
The Assistant Commandant of the corps, Michael Oguntuase, who spoke on behalf of the State Commandant, said the exhibits in the dump site were arrested by the Nigerian Navy and handed over to them, while some of the arrests were also made by the NSCDC Anti-Vandal Team pending forfeiture.
“This place is our marine exhibits yard and not an illegal dump. The entire press team in the state can attest to the fact that this place is our exhibit Jetty.
The commandant general was here in December 2021, and he is aware that this place is our exhibits yard. Those saying this place is a bunkery site are not current, because if they were, they should have known before now that we bring pressmen to this yard to parade suspect and illegal products.”
Reacting also on the rumoured conspiracy plan by some hoodlums to destroy the NSCDC exhibit dump yard, the Commandant emphasized that such plans will be strongly resisted, in order to secure the exhibits.
“We want the public to be rest assured that these exhibits are secured, any form of conspiracy to damage these exhibits will be met with stiff resistance.
“The Commandant General has deployed personnel to ensure the place is secured, Ogbogoro jetty is a no go area for anybody, because destroying this place means destroying the exhibits to prove that these products were all stolen. We had it on good authority that hoodlums were planning to attack this place in order to destroy the exhibits and we will not allow that.”
He, however, urged the public to report any NSCDC officer involved in the business of oil theft as the Corps will not hesitate to show such person the way out.
“If any of our personnel is caught, please report the person to us and we will discipline the person accordingly.
The NSCDC leadership does not in anyway condone acts of indiscipline.
“We are charged to protect critical national assets and if any of our personnel is involved we will not take it lightly. That is why those who were in charge of the anti vandal unit have been disbanded. And the committee set up to investigate them is ongoing.”

By: Stories by Kevin Nengia