Army arrests 17 suspected vandals

The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army has smashed a syndicate that specialised in breaking pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Ikorodu, Lagos state.

It was gathered that 17 members of the syndicate were arrested while 33 vehicles used to load the siphoned products were recovered.

Also arrested were 12 impostors and 11 suspected members of the Eiye confraternity that have been terrorising Ikorodu and its environs.

Explaining how the arrests were made, the General Officer Commanding, GOC 81 Division, Major General Enobong Udoh, while parading the suspects yesterday, at the 174 Battalion, Odogunyan Barracks, Ikorodu, said, “It was gathered that, during the hours of darkness, these vandals break open petroleum pipelines to steal refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), fill up hundreds of jerricans with the products and convey them to their marketing outlets in several, trucks, trailers, buses, cars and vans.

“On sighting the troops approaching the said location, the armed vandals fired sporadically before abandoning their vehicles loaded with the refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and some empty jerry cans and fled to avoid being arrested. Notwithstanding, the troops arrested 12 suspected vandals during a cordon and search operation conducted around the vicinity.”