OOU graduate, Graduate, 23 others arrested for pipeline vandalism

A graduate of Business Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, and 23 others have been arrested by the Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, Headquarters Annex, Lagos.

 

The graduate, Kayode Akinsanya, 27, who claimed to be a taxi driver, said he was not a vandal but only patronised the suspected vandals because he needed to maximise profit.

“I graduated from OOU in 2008, but it’s been hard getting a white collar job so I started using my car for taxi business,” Akinsanya said. “When fuel became scarce and needed to make more money, I was informed that some vandals were selling fuel at Ikorodu at a very cheap price so I went to buy.”

Some of the other suspects, Jimoh Hussein, Abia Joseph and Kazeem Sanni, said they were pipeline vandals but added that they had only done it once.

 

Sanni, a welder, said he was pushed into pipeline vandalism by some hoodlums.

 

He said, “I hail from Fidewo Village, Ogun State and that is where I live. Some months ago, hoodlums started vandalising pipelines in our community. I and some other concerned members of the community told them to leave or we would report them to the police but the hoodlums called off our bluff and threatened us to either join them or vacate the community.

 

“After much persuasion, I joined them and as a welder, I was responsible for drilling holes into the pipes through which oil could be extracted. I did it only once and was given N25,000 before policemen arrested me.”

 

Another suspect, Hussein, who goes by the pseudonym, Sesan, is alleged to have been on the police wanted list for some time.

 

Hussein, who is said to be a man of means, said he was into the business only for a year and had been arrested by the police before but granted bail by a court.

 

“I was a pipeline vandal but stopped two years ago after a court granted me bail. I am now a trader and I deal in building materials,” he said.