Police Parades 13 Suspects for Pipeline Vandalism and Oil Theft

The Nigeria Police Force, on Friday, paraded 13 suspects arrested for criminal conspiracy, pipeline vandalism and theft of product of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS in Abuja.

The suspects who belong to three gangs were arrested in Niger, Kaduna and Delta State.

Some of the suspects according to the Police confessed to have siphoned 11,400 litres of crude oil and sold it for N580, 000.

Exhibits collectively recovered from them include; One Mercedes Benz Actross 3335 Tanker Truck with registration No. KJA 373 XN bearing Forte Oil Plc, one Peugeot 407 Saloon car with Reg. No. ABJ 37 BK, One Yamaha 40 horse power speed boat, 26 Jerry-cans of 25 litres containing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) product suspected to be from WRPC/PPMC, welding machine, drilling Machine, valves, vandalism tools, electric drilling machine, and four drilling kits.

Other items recovered; Tiger electric generator, 21 pieces of welding electrodes, shifting Spanner, one flat spanner, two puncturing rod, one half-length hose, two Saw blades, electric wires, and one loading arm.

The suspects are; Isa Ibrahim (gang leader), Sani Usman, Hosea Danjuma, Aminu Salisu, Umar Abubakar, Aminu Muhammed, Ismaila Jimoh, Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Usman, Lucky David, Shagari Abiakeshi, Lucky Ajanasi and Destiny Amakeri.

Briefing newsmen on the efforts made to curb pipeline vandalism and other crimes across the country, the Force Spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood said: “The constant vandalism of Pipelines, destruction of oil and gas facilities and illegal oil bunkering in the country is of great concern to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris.

“These serious criminal acts are worrisome because of the consequences of economic hardship, damage to public infrastructures, and loss of Government, Private and Public huge investments in the oil sector.

“In order to halt this trend of wanton destruction of lives and properties in a critical sector of the economy, the IGP reorganized and empowered the Task Force on illegal petroleum bunkering to decisively tackle these criminals, their collaborators and sponsors.”

On the various roles played by the suspects, Moshood said: “Isa Ibrahim, Sani Usman, Hosea Danjuma, Aminu Salisu, were arrested after an intensed trail by the operatives of the Special Task Force on Petroleum Illegal Bunkering (STFPIB) on 1st May, 2018 in their hideout in Kaduna State.

“The suspects confessed to have vandalized crude oil pipeline near Kakau Village in Kaduna State on 26/04/2018 and in the process siphoned 11400 Litres of crude oil which they in turn sold at N580,000 to their sponsors.”

On the second gang, Moshood said the gang were caught while trying to break the NNPC pipeline in Niger State.

He said: “On the 27th April, 2018 at about 0230hrs, the STFPIB surveillance patrol team acting on a tip-off intercepted and arrested Umar Abubakar, Aminu Muhammed, Ismaila Jimoh, Oni Ajibade, Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Usman while in the process of breaking the NNPC pipeline around Bonu village in Guarara LGA of Niger State.

“The vandalized NNPC pipeline runs through Izon NNPC pump station to Minna NNPC Depot.”

The Police said the third gang were intercepted on the high sea while conveying products already vandalised to Warri south.

The Spokesman said: “The third gang members were arrested on 26 April, 2018 at about 1800hrs by operatives of the IGP-STFPIB while on waterway patrol along Benneth community riverine area of Warri South, Delta State.

“They were arrested on the high sea while conveying the vandalized product to Warri south in Delta State.”

Moshood said all the suspects admitted and confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime.

He also said investigation was in progress to arrest other suspects still at large adding that all the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.

One of the suspects, Lucky David said he only got 26 Jerry-cans of 25 litres fuel out of the 50 Jerry-cans he took to the site.

“I know what I did is illegal but I didn’t fill all the Jerry-cans I went with. I went with 50 Jerry-cans of 25 litres but I was only able to fill 26 of those Jerry cans with crude oil.