Policemen
attached to the Force Headquarters annex have arrested four suspected
pipeline vandals in Ikorodu, Lagos State and Abeokuta, the Ogun State
capital.
The policemen, who are
attached to the Inspector-General of Police Special Task Force on
Anti-Pipeline, also recovered 25,500 litres of petrol and impounded the
three vehicles the suspects allegedly used in conveying the product.
Assistant Commissioner of
Police, Friday Ibadin, who is in charge of the Task Force, said the
members of the team had intensified surveillance in the areas where the
vandals operated.
He said it was during one
of such operations that they were able to arrest Segun Ayokanmi, Ibrahim
Badamus, Gbenga Boyega and Adebisi Abass
Ibadin said, “It was in our
regular patrol on the June 28, 2012 that the police stumbled on the
group which has shifted its base to Ogun State. Some were picked at Ogun
State while the others were arrested in Ikorodu.
“We are determined with the
help the communities where these pipelines are laid to curb the
activities of these vandals. Meanwhile, the suspects will soon be
charged to court at the end of investigation.”
Ibadin said the policemen
impounded two DAF trucks with number plate XP369KSF and KJA364XB
containing 500 jerrycans of 50 litres of petrol as well as a Mazda bus
with number plate BF767BDG containing 10 jerrycans of 50 litres of
petrol.
Ayokanmi, one of the
arrested suspects, said he was not fully involved in the operation but
was only assisting one Seun, who is still at large, to dispose of the
products.
He said, “We sell each
50-litre jerrycan of petrol for as low as N1, 800. We have our buyers
who include individuals and some petrol stations. All I do is to drop
the product and the money would be paid into Seun’s account who normally
pays me, N8, 000 per successful trip.”
Ayokanmi said he went into oil bunkering because it was less risky than internet fraud which he was doing in the past.
Abass, the suspect, who
allegedly provided the two trucks, prayed the police to release him as
he was not aware that it was petrol that was being conveyed.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Force
Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, has called on the community to
help the police fish out those who had been giving it a bad name by
vandalising NNPC pipelines.
He also warned vandals to be wary of sabotaging government’s effort.
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