Police Parade 13 Principal Suspects of Pipeline Vandalism

The Nigerian Police has paraded 13 principal suspects it arrested for constant vandalism of Pipelines, destruction of oil and gas facilities and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region of the country.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, while parading the suspects in Abuja yesterday, said the serious criminal acts were 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.

Idris said that it was in order to halt the trend of wanton destruction of lives and properties in a critical sector of the economy that he reorganised and empowered the Task Force on illegal petroleum bunkering to decisively tackle these criminals, their collaborators and sponsors.

He said the first case was the arrest of suspected crude oil pipeline vandals in Kaduna State. He listed Isa Ibrahim, Sani Usman, Hosea Danjuma, Aminu Salisu as those arrested after an intense trail by the operatives of the Special Task Force on Petroleum Illegal Bunkering (STFPIB) on May p1, 2018 in their hideout in Kaduna State.

According to the IGP, the suspects confessed to have vandalised crude oil pipeline near Kakau Village in Kaduna State on 26/04/2018 and in the process siphoned 11, 400 Litres of crude oil which they in turn sold at N580,000.00 to their sponsors.

"They have made useful statements and admitted to the crime. Effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects at large who are involved in the crime. Suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations," he added.

The Police boss also paraded the arrested suspects of crude oil pipeline vandals in Niger State. He said that on April 27, 2018 at about 02. 30pm, "the Special Task Force on Petroleum Illegal Bunkering (STFPIB) surveillance patrol team acting on a tip-off intercepted and arrested Umar Abubakar, Aminu muhammed, Ismaila Jimoh (driver), 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 vandalised NNPC pipeline runs through Izon NNPC pump station to Minna NNPC Depot.