The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Kolawole Shodipo has paraded eight suspects and declared a 26-year-old man wanted in connection with the illegal oil bunkering activities in Gelegele Community, Ovia North East Local Government area of Edo State.
Parading the suspects at the Zone 5 headquarters in Benin City, Shodipo warned that oil theft to stay clear off his zone or face the full wrath of the law as the Police will not condole any attempts to destroy government investment in the petroleum industry.
The suspects, Adewale Balogun, Kemi Saka, Matthew Ayebaidobamo, Timi Ebikabowei, Kurokeme Poweide, Alfred Yemsi , Bubarayre Dagogo, Joseph Boma and one Asemota Murphy now at large was said to have vandalised the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline, stealing 66,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (Fuel).
While informing the general public particularly the people of Edo, Bayelsa and Delta States of Police determination to rid the country of crime, Shodipo said the suspects who have confessed to the crime said the oil were sold to their clients from Ondo and Ekiti States and returned back to the community to enjoy the remaining of their loots.
The AIG said the suspects will be charged to court.
Leader of the gang, Joseph Boma who spoke to our correspondent said Asemota Murphy was forced into the business at gunpoint while he was in search of money to pay his mother’s hospital bill and noted that the loot was also share with him.
The 35-year-old suspect who spoke in pidgin to THE NIGERIANOBSERVER said: “I saw Asemota crying close to our community Town hall and I asked what the problem was. He said some armed robbers attacked his mother while returning from the village market, carted away her money and valuables and hit her head with a riffle gun for showing resistance.
“He now told me that the doctor in the hospital that she was taken to is requesting for N100.000 to commence treatment on her head injury which lead to her mental behavior. He said he wanted to take his mother to a Psychiatric hospital where she will be treated better. That was how I told him to come the next day and when he came I introduced him to these other members.
“At first he refused but I pointed my gun at him and told him, he either joins us or die. I told him I will kill him and throw his body into the river and no one would look for him. That was how he joined us in the operation that night.
We broke the crude oil pipeline. Then a pipe was connected to fill two tanks of lorry which we sold to our business partner from other states.
“When they were delivered, we gave him N100.000 as his share and he left to the hospital immediately. So it was after some some weeks later as we went for the second operation which Murphy was not among that we were arrested and two of our members were shot at the scene who were trying to escape.
Following this confessional statement, our correspondent visited Gelegele and spoke to Murpy’s neighbor, Mrs Mercy Akpodogha also known as mama mercy who explained that, “Murphy’s mother, a fish seller and we have been friends for a long time. Since the dead of Murphy father who died in a car accident when he was 3 years old in 1993. He has been struggling with his mother and at times helps his mother to sell fish in the market”.
The soft spoken Akpodogha further said, “Just last week his mother was wishing him happy birthday. Advising that he was 26 years old and should leave the community to look for work in Benin City.
“Then few days ago, his mother was attacked by armed robbers while returning from the market and they hit her head with the back of gun. She was badly injured, our community health centre couldn’t do much to stabilize her and they were advised to go to a bigger hospital in Benin.
“Asemota returned from the hospital and said the doctor said they are stabilising his mother that he should go and look for N100.000 to commence treatment and surgery or else she may run mad or die.
“He went to community elders, no one could help, and that was how he told me one of the youths that saw him crying has decided to help him. Two days after, he said he has deposited the money for his mother’s treatment. In the hospital and that he will be in Benin temporarily till his mother is in good condition to return. I tried to know how he got the money but he didn’t tell me. I tried reaching him sometimes, his number was not connecting.
“A week after, he called me crying that his mother is dead. He said before the doctor could take her to the theatre for the surgery, blood has moved into her brain. I consoled him and told him that a joint Task Force comprising of Army and Police came looking for him and I said I told them he travelled to Benin and will be back.
“I told him I heard some youths were arrested while some who were trying to escape were shot dead for involvement in oil bunkery. I asked him if he was one of them, he denied it.
“When he called me again he said he was in his aunt’s (mother only sister) place in Dalori village which is closed to Maiduguri, and he told me that the corpse of his mother is in the mortuary. That was the last time I heard from him”.
The NIGERIA OBSERVER gathered that suspected Boko haram terrorists had invaded the community killing at least 86 people and at least 62 more injured while children scampered for safety.
President Muhammadu Buhari had established a special task force against oil and gas pipeline vandalism to put an end to the menace in the Niger Delta.
