Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Bayelsa Command says its operatives apprehended 40 suspected oil thieves and destroyed 106 illegal refineries in 2015.

The State Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, made the disclosure during on Wednesday the command’s end of year press conference at NSCDC headquarters in Yenagoa.

The cache of arms recovered within the year under review, amongst other recovered items, were also paraded before newsmen.

Mr Agu said the command recorded appreciable success in its fight against oil theft and other illegalities during the outgoing year.

He also revealed that the command recovered 10 locally made boats, eight speed boats, one lorry, 10 pumping machines, 20 boat engines and six motorcycles.

Other recovered items, according to the Commandant, were one bus, four taxi cabs, four wheelbarrows, 10 hoses, 55,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and 5,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene.

The Commandant said seven suspects were in court while 16 suspects were remanded in prison custody. He added that four vehicles and boats were forfeited to the government.

The NSCDC chief further noted that the command had an active collaboration with multi-national companies in safeguarding their facilities and pipelines across the state and beyond.

“We are also active in internal security in the state; we are a component of the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, in conjunction with the police in providing internal security in the state. We also have a quick intervention force at the state headquarters for distress calls for any person in distressed situation and a Disaster Management Unit that responds to emergency situations like vehicular accidents and fire outbreak,” Agu said.

He commended the Federal and Bayelsa State governments, the Commandant-General of NSCDC and the media their support during the year under review.

However, the commandant called on the Federal Government to do more in the areas of provision of more equipment and logistics support, which he said were the major challenges facing the command.

•Photo shows NSCDC Commandant General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu.