FSARS recovers 45, 000 litres of petrol from pipeline vandal

Detectives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS, Lagos Island, Lagos have arrested a suspected pipeline vandal and truck driver, Saheed Yusuf, 41 and recovered 45, 000 litres of petrol he and others, still at large, allegedly siphoned at Shagamu forest, Ogun, Southwest, Nigeria.

Also recovered from the suspect was the truck he allegedly used to convey the stolen products to unsuspecting buyers in Ibadan, Oyo State.

A police source said that the recovered petrol had been handed over to the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Ibadan depot, Oyo State, while the truck had also been impounded by the police.

The feat, according to the source was achieved by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP in charge of the FSARS, Lagos, Mr, Ibrahim Kaoje who deployed a team led by DSP Olaniyi Festus in charge of the strike unit to Shagamu forest in Ogun State to arrest the suspected pipeline vandals vandalizing NNPC pipelines in the area following a tip off by concerned Nigerians.

According to the source, following the DCP’s directive, DSP Festus and his team swung into action and after days of intelligence gathering along the Shagamu and Ibadan Express way, they intercepted the suspect with his truck in Ibadan, without petrol inside.

The police alleged that during preliminary interrogation, Yusuf allegedly confessed to the crime that he was a pipeline vandal and truck driver contracted by one Alhaji Moshood to load petrol from a vandalized pipeline at Shagamu forest for him and supply to his three customers in Ibadan with a promise to pay him N150, 000, adding that he was yet to collect the money when he was arrested.

The source further alleged that Yusuf, who claimed to reside at Owode, Academy area of Ibadan later led the police to recover the 45, 000 litres from the buyers in Ibadan.

The sources said that the police had launched a manhunt for the arrest of the fleeing Moshood and that the arrested suspect would be charge to court after investigation of the matter.

Efforts to contact DCP Kaoje for comment on the incident proved abortive.