SAN FRANCISCO, January 04, (THEWILL) – Two suspected pipeline vandals have revealed how soldiers allegedly aided them to load their truck with petroleum products in a creek in Ijedodo area of Lagos.
The suspects were arrested over the weekend in Isolo area of Lagos by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Anti Pipeline Vandalisation Unit while they were about conveying a 33,000 litre truck laden with the siphoned petroleum product to Ibadan, Oyo state, where a petrol station owner was waiting to receive same.
While one of the suspects, Friday Joseph 37, drove the truck with plate number XA 898 ABC, Moshood Jubril 40, an escort, reportedly drove behind in a Toyota Camry car with plate number AAA 208 DU. They were however given away by the bill of laden.
Explaining how they were arrested, Mr. Valentine Olumese, the officer in charge of the Unit said when information on activities of pipeline vandals got to him, he directed the Lagos State sector commander to go on their trail.
The vandals according to him, were followed right from Ijedodo to Isolo where Joseph was accosted.
When asked to produce the bill of laden, he (Joseph ) reportedly told the operatives that his colleague, Jubril was with it, unknown to him that Jubril had been arrested.
Noting in his confessional statement that he get N300,000 for each trip, Joseph said “We work for one Timothy, owner of the truck. But our major receiver is in Ibadan. He owns a filling station. We bought the product for N85 per litre and intended to sell it at N120 in Ibadan.
“Timothy is the owner of the Toyota Corolla. He bought it as an escort vehicle. He pays me N300,000 at the end of any successful trip while the escort gets N50,000. On this day, we set out with the truck from Ibadan. We stormed Ijedodo, where one Ann, girlfriend to one of the commanders in the creeks, called TK, collected the money for the product on behalf of T.K.”
“As we set out in the bush, we saw some soldiers who asked where we were going. We told them we were going to carry out repairs on the truck. They followed us. Out of fear, we told them that we were going to the creeks and they led us there. On reaching the creeks, they (soldiers) brought out a power generating set and a hose.”
“While there, 10 other soldiers came from the creeks with boats and filled the truck. They escorted us out of the bush. But unfortunately, we were arrested by the Police on reaching Isolo. I have been doing this for a while,” the suspect stated.
