Rivers Police investigate DPO who allegedly owns illegal refinery

The Rivers State Police Command has disclosed that it has set up a panel to investigate a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who is alleged to own an illegal refinery in the state.

The Police in a statement on Sunday said the unnamed DPO has been “immediately redeployed and a panel headed by an assistant commissioner of police inaugurated to investigate the matter”.

In the statement signed by the Acting State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Grace Iringe-Koko, the force assured that the outcome of the investigation shall be made public and the officer will be punished appropriately if the allegations are confirmed.

The statement added that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Ebola Friday, restated the commitment of the command to support the Rivers State government in its war against illegal oil bunkering and assures the public that the command will not spare any indicted person no matter how highly placed he or she may be.

The CP also called on anyone with useful information on the activities of oil thieves and illegal refiners not to hesitate in passing it to the security agencies or the local government chairmen.

Governor Nyesom Wike had raised the alarm and demanded that the DPO, who was in charge of a division in a community called Rumuji in the Emohua Local Government Area, be redeployed.

Governor Wike also demanded the immediate redeployment of the head of the anti-vandal unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for providing cover to illegal refiners.

Responding to the allegation, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Audi has announced the disbandment of the Rivers State anti-vandal unit of the NSCDC.

The Commandant-General also ordered the suspension of the head of the team pending the outcome of an independent enquiry into the allegations.

A statement on Saturday by the Director of Public Relations, NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, said Audi expressed shock and dismay over the allegations.

He decried the allegations as not being in tandem with his vision for the corps, stressing that he would not condone any criminal act or compromise by the personnel.