Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has arrested nineteen nationals of Benin Republic for alleged theft of over fifty thousand litres of petroleum products.

According to its Lagos State Command, the suspects were arrested between August twenty-eight and August thirtieth.

Its Commandant, Tajudeen Balogun, confirmed the arrest while presenting the suspects and the products to newsmen in Lagos, saying thirteen of the suspects were picked up in a boat at Badagry on their way from Niger Delta area and heading to Benin Republic.

Balogun said the other suspects were arrested at Atlas Goove and Lagos Island, saying they were unable to explain how they came about the products stored in different jerry cans and drums.

According to him, the command recovered three hundred jerry cans of thirty litres each containing petroleum products, saying the commmand also recovered forty jerry cans of thirty litres each containing diesel and another forty jerry cans of same litres containing kerosene.

“We intercepted another Cotonou boat with 118 drums of different products, with each drum containing about 250 litres.

‘‘We have contacted the NNPC for the evacuation of the products to their depot at Mosimi in Ogun.

“All the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded,” the commandant said.

The commended sister security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Navy, for the collaboration to effect the arrest and seizures.

All the suspects could only speak French when asked how they came about the products.