Final Warning To Pipeline Vandals, Criminals In Nigeria

The commandant-general of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana, has passed what he thinks is the last warning to pipeline vandals in the country.

He promised total war against these vandals and other criminals, whose activities create negative impressions about the country.

“I just want to remind the vandals that vandalizing critical infrastructures of government is a criminal offence and I want to tell them to desist because defenders are watching them and would not sit down and watch people doing that,” he said while re-echoing robust welfare package for personnel of the NSCDC.

Gana gave this warning in a speech to mark his one year in office A statement from the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja, said Gana gave the speech at a prayer session organised in his honour by members of the NSCDC.

He used the opportunity to render his account of stewardship, plans and programmes for the corps and the nation.

Reiterating his commitment and readiness to move the corps “to an enviable height” with qualitative leadership, Gana said he will always give back to the organisation as long as the staff give him the needed support and cooperation.

The commandant-general added that his achievements and kind gestures are multi-faceted and these range from staff welfare, infrastructure, health care and other staff-development programmes.

Concerning the plans against criminal activities in the country, he explained that the corps, as a creation of the government and law, is saddled with the responsibility of protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure and national assets, which include petroleum pipelines, gas installations, telecommunication facilities and transport facilities.

Before Gana gave his speech, the NSCDC had on occasions reported arrest and prosecution of some pipeline vandals. On Saturday, July 9, the Abia state command of the organisation said it was prosecuting 30 pipeline vandals and oil bunkers.

Soldiers Assured us That We Will Not Be Caught – Vandals Open Up

The police has arrested a group of suspected vandals for engaging in oil bunkering around the creeks in the Festac Town area of Lagos State.

The suspects – Johnson Igadu, 25, Daniel Poku, 25, and 26-year-old Sterling Longlife – told Punch Metro that they carried out the operation after allegedly getting assurances from some military officers that nothing would go wrong.

The suspects, who were paraded on Tuesday at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’, Lagos State Command headquarters in Ikeja, said their kingpin, identified as Soji, was still at large.

They alleged that the soldiers colluded with them in the operation.

Punch Metro gathered that Soji had on May 21, 2016 engaged the suspects to convey 10 barrels of fuel in a boat from 7th Avenue, Festac Town, to a place called Ghana village, saying he had “settled” the military men monitoring the waterways in the area.

It was learnt that the gang had scaled through with the fuel at two checkpoints reportedly manned by soldiers before luck ran out on them.

Igadu, who hails from Warri, Delta State, said he could not tell why the operation went wrong as his friend, Poku, had allegedly spoken with a soldier on the phone who assured them of safety.

He said, “I came to Lagos two months ago. Soji called us to bring 10 barrels of fuel from a creek on 7th Avenue, Festac Town. We went there to carry the fuel to Ghana village. We knew there were soldiers in the area, but he said he had already paid them and that we should not be afraid.

“He sent Poku’s number to one of the soldiers to call us when it was safe to get the fuel. The soldier called Poku and said we should come to carry the fuel. That was why we got the confidence to move.

“We carried the fuel around 12.30am and left in their presence. We passed the first two checkpoints. The soldiers there checked the fuel and told us to go.

“When we got to the third checkpoint, we heard gunshots. We fled the boat and escaped through the waterways. We ran to a man and begged him to allow us pass the night at his house. But he alerted the vigilantes around the area who handed us over to the police. The police handed us over to the army and we were later transferred to the NSCDC.”

Twenty-five-year-old Poku, an indigene of Delta State, said he had declined to embark on the deal but Soji persuaded him.

“I am a businessman. I came to Lagos to hustle. I later met Soji. He engaged the three of us to carry the fuel to Ghana village and promised to give us N10,000 each. I told him soldiers were around the area and he said he had settled them.

“The soldiers at the checkpoints knew we were carrying fuel but they did not stop us. It was at the third checkpoint that some of them started shooting. Maybe Soji didn’t settle those soldiers,” he said.

Ondo State-born Longlife, a mechanic, confirmed the statements of the other two suspects.

“I decided to do the job on that day because I did not have money. I have realised the errand he sent us was wrong. I beg the government to forgive me,” he added.
However, the Public Relations Officer of the 81 Division, Lt.-Col. Kingsley Samuel, refuted the suspects’ allegations, saying they could have mistaken the officers of other forces for soldiers.
He said, “That is an allegation from suspects; it is spurious. Can they identify the soldiers? The Nigerian Army, the Air Force and the Navy wear the same camouflage. There is uniformity in the camouflage, so you can’t tell who is a soldier, an air force officer or a naval officer.
“Operation MESSA is not made up of soldiers alone. We cannot speak on the allegation now because we don’t know those paraded and we were not informed of the parade.”
The Lagos State NSCDC Commandant, Tajudeen Balogun, said the suspects would be charged to court after investigation, adding that the corps would continue to track down pipeline vandals sabotaging the country’s economy.
He said, “About 2,500 litres of petrol was recovered from the suspects. Investigation is ongoing. We will charge them to court at the end of our investigation.”

Confessions from the Ikorodu bank robbers

The Ikorodu bank robbery suspects that were paraded at the Lagos state Police command yesterday July 6th , said contrary to what many believed, no woman led their 18-man gang in the robbery attack they conducted on two banks in Ikorordu on June 24th.
 The robbers, Omoboye, alias Alarm blow, 39; Bright Agbojule, 25; Ikuesan, 37, and Abiwa, 20. during interrogation said some of their members were recruited from Warri, Delta state and that they
planned the robbery incident in about 30 minutes.

 

25 year old Bright Agbojule who is a married man with two children said a meeting with members of the gang, led by the gang’s leader whom he identified as 'Million', was held in Abule area of Lagos same day the operation was carried out. He said they stole N80 million and he was given N2 million 

He said:
"Million is our leader. I was introduced to the gang by a friend named Akpan. I joined because I had no means of feeding my family.
I am a wood logger, but business has been bad. Akpan took me to the gang’s meeting same day of the operation, on June 24, at Abule Ishawo area of Ikorodu". "Those of us from Lagos included myself, M. O., Kelvin, S. K. Careboy and Million, while the rest were recruited from Warri, Delta State, by Million. He also brought eight rifles and two pump action guns from Warri, including the two operational vehicles.
He taught us how to aim at our targets during the meeting, which lasted 30 minutes, with each of us instructed on what to do on reaching the venue". "My role was to stand outside, with one of the pump action guns, shooting sporadically.
I was also instructed to shoot at anyone who dared to intrude, while the boys recruited from Warri confronted the police. I had over 900 cartridges. At the end of the operation, we escaped in a fibre boat and went to the creeks, where the loot was shared". "At the creeks, we analysed the operation and Million said we did well, promising to use us for subsequent operations. I was not allowed to go near where the money was counted. Million and other leaders counted the money. But Akpan told me they got N80 million".

He added:
"I was given N2 million.
I bought a Lexus SUV for N1.5 million and I gave my wife N30,000 to enrol for an exam. I also gave some of my friends out of it and also bought jerry cans for my brother, who is a pipeline vandal. Million instructed those from Warri to set the operational vehicles ablaze before leaving the scene. That was after the numbers plates were removed".
"He collected the cost of the cars from the loot before sharing the rest among us. That was my first time of joining them. I did not go with them to the Lekki and Ijede banks operations.”

PM News