The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit, Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, said last week that it recently arrested, in two separate raids, nine suspected pipeline vandals at Takwa Bay and Ikorodu areas of the state.
It was gathered that the task force had first arrested one of the suspects of the Takwa Bay gang, identified as Kabiru Akinsanya, who had been on the police wanted list, beside a ruptured Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit, Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, said last week that it recently arrested, in two separate raids, nine suspected pipeline vandals at Takwa Bay and Ikorodu areas of the state.
It was gathered that the task force had first arrested one of the suspects of the Takwa Bay gang, identified as Kabiru Akinsanya, who had been on the police wanted list, beside a ruptured Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline.
Equally, a four-man gang at Ikorodu, which comprised of: Onadipe Abdulateef, Samuel Adeoye, Samuel Okunuga and Kayode Akinsanya, was also arrested by the task force at Oke-Oko in Ikorodu, while attempting to dispose stolen PMS.
Confirming the arrest, the Task Force Commander, Friday Ibadin, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said the arrest was based on intelligence report that some vandals had resumed siphoning petroleum products from the NNPC pipeline, in Takwa Bay.
He said: "We got a tip-off that vandals had resumed activities in that area. Policemen led by Lagos Sector Commander, Mr. Onaghise Osayande, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) were sent to the area to ensure regular patrol.
"It was during one of the patrol sessions that they discovered a burst pipeline. In the course of investigation, they discovered the hideouts of some of the suspected vandals. Kabiru was arrested and he confessed to the crime. "
Ibadin called on Nigerians to help protect NNPC pipelines by informing security operatives of the activities of vandals.
He said, "it is no longer business as usual as the Arepo incident has caused untold hardship on Nigerians. We will stop at nothing to bring an end to the reign of vandals in this country”, he assured, even as he added that: "It has also come to our notice that some community leaders are also part of this fraud. The police will not take it lightly with a leader who harbours vandals in his community."
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