A suspected oil thief, Azeez Suleiman has lamented his alleged forceful conscription into the pipeline vandalism gang.
Suleiman a tanker driver was among the 12 suspected oil thieves arrested by the Lagos State Task Force on Pipeline Vandalisation on Tuesday in Ijedodo village, Alimosho Local Government Area of the state.
According to the suspect, he was forcefully coerced into oil siphoning syndicate by hoodlums who gave him serious beaten before he joined their fold.
“I was beaten by hoodlums, when I refused to co-operate with them.
“I am a truck driver and I was called by one of my friends who normally scout for jobs for me to take my truck to Ijegun for transloading.
“On getting there, I saw some armed men around and my friend told me that they were security men. After parking my truck, I saw a boat loaded with bags filled with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and some people started carrying the bags out of the boat and they emptied its content into my truck.
“Immediately, I saw this, I started protesting, but these hoodlums descended on me and started beating me. My friend who brought me into the job was helpless and he could not stop them. I was beaten to the point where I was left with no other choice than to accept. I was arrested when I was about leaving the area.” he lamented.
Another suspect Jide Falayo, driver of Nissan bus, said that he was being paid N3000 daily by a man named Baba Ope to transport bags of PMS from Ijedodo to Isolo. He explained that he took the job because he could not secure a better job.
“I just started this job and my boss, Baba Ope owns the bus. I was employed last month and my job was to drive this bus when it is loaded with PMS to Isolo. I don’t know what they do with the product, my own job is to deliver the goods.
“I was arrested with 28 bags and each contains over 1000 litres of PMS. I was shocked when I was arrested. Baba Ope had assured me that I was not going to be arrested because he was fully protected and in the few time I have done the job, the police never bothered me. But I don’t know where these new policemen came from and they even looked for Baba Ope to arrest but we didn’t meet him at home.”
It was gathered that 42,800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), loaded in two tanker trucks and a Nissan Bus, were recovered from the suspects when the operatives raided Ijedodo, a notorious haven for pipeline vandalism.
Ijedodo, a suburb of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, has witnessed several pipeline explosions in the past following repeated activities of oil thieves, vandalising pipeline belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), which had resulted in untimely death of several people.
Daily Sun learnt that the suspects were arrested at various locations when the operatives received an intelligence report on their activities.
Confirming the incident, Commander of the Task Force, CSP Valentine Olumese, said that the Task Force is committed in eradicating pipeline vandalism across the country.
He added that the number of those arrest will send signal to others who are still in the illegal business.
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