The Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism,
Force Headquarters, has arrested a 35-year-old medical doctor, Salifu Odiba and
24 others for oil pipeline vandalism.
Confirming the arrests, the
officer-in-charge of the task force, Friday Ibadin, said some of the suspects
were arrested in different parts of the country for operating their oil
businesses without a licence.
The suspects are identified as;
Onadipe Abdullateef, Samuel Oyewunmi, Samuel Okunuga, Kayode Akinsanya, Alaba
Ademola, Hehinde Alagboye, Muritala Karim, Akeem Ahmed, Musiliu Azeez, Jelilat
Olalekan and Elizabeth Folusho.
Others are: Ibrahim Musa, Jimoh
Sesan, Afeez Azeez, Musa Adebayo, Dauda Adesina, Kareem Sani, Segun Adetayo,
Seyi Olojo, Dauda Mashika, Kamilu Adedeji, Abeni Olayemi, Abia Joseph and
Joseph Adekunle.
Ibadin said some of suspects were
arrested in Ikorodu, Takwa Bay, Atlas Cove and Owode in Lagos State, as well as
Ibafo, Igbesa, Iperu, Sagamu and Fidewo in Ogun respectively.
He said items recovered from them
were two 33,000-litre trucks loaded with petroleum products, 105 (50- litres)
jerry cans and 18 (25 litres) jerry cans filled with petroleum products.
Other items included 32 drums filled
with petroleum products, a pumping machine and an outboard engine were also
recovered.
The task force commander said: “One
of the suspects, popularly known as Sesan (a.k.a Vandal) had been on the wanted
list.
“He lives big in his community, but
his main job is to vandalise NNPC pipelines.”
Odiba, who was recently arrested in
Kogi State, said he took to illegal oil business because it was more lucrative
than his profession.
The University of Jos graduate said a
friend introduced him to illegal oil business and he made more money than the
N90,000 he earned at the Federal Medical Centre.
He said: “The medical profession was
no longer as prestigious as it used to be due to the large number of people
practicing it. These days many Nigerians prefer to take self-medication.”
The suspect said he was contacted by
a source at Lokoja, the state capital, who claimed to have large quantities of
oil but was arrested by policemen.
Ibadin lamented that the country was
losing too much money from pipeline vandalism, adding that Odiba’s case was a
proof that it is not only miscreants that are into the illegitimate business.