MR. SHEM OBAFAIYE
Mr Shem Obafaiye, the Oyo State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says the command has arrested three of the six suspected leaders behind pipeline vandalism in the state.
Obafaiye said this on Thursday at the command’s headquarters in Ibadan while parading a 35-year-old driver arrested for oil pipeline vandalism.
Acknowledging that the fight against vandalism was tough, Obafaiye said the commitment of the NSCDC was to sustain the campaign.
“The command has been able to arrest three out of the six barons we have identified to be the brains behind vandalism in the state.
“We will continue to fight and no matter the challenge that may arise in the course of performing our duties, we are resilient,” Obafaiye said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspect was arrested in possession of a 33,000 litre tanker marked XB 190 SMK.
Obafaiye said the suspect was arrested on Oct. 9 at Odo-Oba, Ogbomoso, during a joint operation between the NSCDC and the state police special squad known as, “Operation Burst.”
“They had succeeded in loading the truck with 22,000 litres of petrol, but on sighting our men, others escaped while we arrested one person,” he said.
Obafaiye said that the truck would soon be taken to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, for decanting.
The suspect however, told reporters that he was not aware that his friend whom he thought was helping him was involved in pipeline vandalism.
“I met Kazeem, the owner of this tanker, who invited me to load his tanker with fuel and because I was out of job for about six months, I thought this was the breakthrough.
“It was not until we got to the site at about 1.00 a.m. that I realised I was walking into trouble.
“It was very late and I had only N90 on me. I could not shout or run. I was, therefore, stranded with them in the middle of nowhere.
“I am married with three kids and my regret is that while Kazeem escaped with none of his phone lines going through, I was arrested,” he said. (NAN)
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate