OLEEEEE: I vandalised pipeline to combat oil scarcity – Suspect

A suspect, Abbey Daniel, has told the
police that he became a pipeline vandal
because of the fuel scarcity which has
been plaguing the nation for over a
month.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Daniel was
arrested by the Inspector General of
Police Special Task Force on Anti-
Pipeline Vandalism, Lagos, in the Ikate,
Akute area of Ojodu, Ogun State.
The special task force policemen, who
stormed the area after they got a tip-off
that vandals were operating, were said
to have engaged them in a gun duel.
Daniel was arrested, while the others
fled the scene and abandoned their
equipment, including five speed boats
containing about 4,000 empty jerrycans.
However, Daniel said his decision to
vandalise oil pipeline was not for selfish
gain, but to help Nigerians who queue
for long hours every day.
He said, "I did it in an attempt to help
Nigerians to get fuel which is not
available. We got a tip-off from our
informant that NNPC was pumping fuel
through that line, so we got our
equipment and went across the river.
"We thought that before the police
would get across the river to where we
were, we would have disappeared.
There is high demand for fuel in Lagos
and the buyers are paying good money,
especially operators of fuel stations."
Narrating how he was arrested, he said
he hid in a nearby bush when the
shooting between the members of his
gang and the police became intense.
He said while his friends jumped into
the river and swam away, he could not
do so because he did not know how to
swim.
"I was not armed and cannot swim, so I
had to hide in the bush. I was on my
way back home when the police traced
me through my phone that was
abandoned at the scene."
Residents of Ikate told PUNCH Metro
that they were woken up by the sound
of gunshots.
They also lamented that the ongoing
fuel scarcity had drawn pipeline vandals
to the area, urging the government to
provide security for the community.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday
Ibadin, who is in charge of the task
force, confirmed Daniel's arrest. He said
the team got a tip-off that vandals were
at the Ikate Akute area of the NNPC
right of way around 1am.
He said, "We got a tip-off that vandals
had resumed their activities along Ikate
Akute, Ojudu, Ogun State on the
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation pipeline.
"Policemen, led by the newly posted
Lagos Sector Commander, DSP Samson
Olawoyin, cordoned off the area and the
vandals, who realised that the
policemen were on their trail, opened
fire.
"The vandals later fled. Their boat,
which contained countless numbers of
50-litre kegs, have been destroyed
while one of the suspects was arrested.
"There have been several attempts in
recent times by vandals to operate, but
our men who are always on ground have
always stopped them. We are aware
that these boys knew the desperation of
Nigerians for fuel. We have to fortify
the areas."
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer
of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers
Association, South-West Zone, Tayo
Aboyeji, has said over 800 fuel tankers
are currently stranded in Lagos due to
unavailability of the product in Apapa
depot.
He added that the influx of more fuel
tankers had worsened the traffic
situation in the Apapa area despite the
presence of the special taskforce,
including the men of the Lagos State
Traffic Management Authority.