04 September 2015, Lagos – Lagos State Police Command is investigating three suspected members of an illegal oil bunkering syndicate which specialises in vandalising petroleum pipelines, siphoning products, transporting and selling of the products in Cotonou.
Vandalised-pipeline
The suspects, identified as Adelanke Akinbosun, (owner of product), Gbadamosi Tijani (truck driver) and others, were intercepted while coming from Mile 2 at Iyana Era Bus Stop, along Badagry Expressway.
They were attempting to transport a container-load of petroleum products carefully packaged in large sacks on Friday, August 27, when they were intercepted at about 11a.m.
It was learned that the suspects were apprehended by an SIB officer, Inspector Sylvester Imoukhedene, attached to Ijanikin Police Division.
The division had received intelligence report that some notorious oil bunkerers were transporting products to Cotonou to resell.
The Divisional Police Officer mobilized officers, who swung into action.
It was gathered that the two military officers, a private and a lieutenant, who were escorting the suspects to evade suspi-cion, escaped immediately police intercepted the Mercedes truck.
Vanguard gathered that during preliminary investigation, the suspects could not give satisfactory details and account of why they were in possession of 70 large sacks of fuel loaded inside a 20-foot container.
Although the suspects said this was the first time they were undertaking such transactions, one of the suspects, Gbadamosi Tijani, revealed that the military escort was meant to prevent other security operatives, such as police officers, from stopping or searching the truck.
Tijani noted that no police officer would be interested in stopping them or checking what was in the truck, with the presence of a military escort.
- Vanguard
