PIPELINE VANDALS SALES FUEL FOR =N=48.00 PER LITRE

A suspected oil pipeline
vandal, Komuko Ayekede,
says he sells stolen petrol
at N48 per litre.
The suspect, who was
arrested by the Inspector
General of Police Special
Task Force on Anti-Pipeline
Vandalism Unit on
Sunday, added that he had
numerous customers
including filling stations,
due to his attractive price.
He however pleaded with
the police to release him
and the other four
suspects, Oluwafemi
Bamidele, James Awolowo,
Eugene Stanley and Kunle
Ogushe, in the spirit of
Easter.
"We thought that on a day
like Easter, security
operatives would go and
rest with their families.
Please forgive us at least
for the sake of Christ that
rose from the dead because
of you and me," he said.
Narrating how he joined
the illegitimate business,
Ayekede, 52, said he was
involved in sand dredging
but joined other vandals
when he couldn't make ends
meet.
He said, "I was engaged in
sand dredging. Some years
ago when my business was
not moving well, my
friend, Ebi, advised me to
join him in pipeline
vandalism. Initially, I said
no because I was a
hardworking person, but
when it dawned on me that
this was the only source of
living, I joined Ebi.
"We were using kegs but
because of the level of the
water, we introduced the
use of sack which contains
a larger quantity. The sack
can contain as much as 125
litres of fuel or diesel.
Normally we move about
270 bags per trip.
"When we get to the pipe, we
will open it and use our
own valve to block it
immediately. You then run
it through the hose to the
water where the bags and
my boys are waiting.
On how they sell the
products, Ayekede said
there were always buyers
at Apapa to collect the
product at N6000 per sack
of 125 litres.
He said, "Selling the
product is not a problem.
There are so many of them
at Apapa. The main job is
to collect the product and
successfully cross the river
especially through FESTAC
canal. This is why we
normally work at
midnight."
Stanley, another suspect,
claimed he was an
aspiring footballer based
in Bayelsa but was pushed
to crime because he needed
money to bribe scouts who
would help him get a good
offer in Europe.
Another suspect, Bamidele,
who claimed to be a
university dropout, said
he was not part of the
vandals but only wanted to
patronise them.
Friday Ibadin, who is in
charge of the Task Force
said that at about 12am,
on Sunday they got an
intelligence report that
vandals were at Ijedodo,
Ijegun in Iba Local
Government Council
Development area of Lagos.
He said they were arrested
around 7th Avenue, FESTAC
with 270 bags of 120 litres
of petrol .