Crude oil gushes out of tap in Kogi Village

Operatives of the Inspector General of Police, Special Taskforce on Pipeline Vandalism, Kogi State Sector are on the trail of a landlord identified only as Mallam Mohammed after a well filled with crude oil was discovered in his compound located at Gegu, Koton Karafi Local Government area of Kogi State.

It was learnt that the compound is located about 30 metres from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation pipeline in the area. The landlord was said to have escaped as soon as he learnt that policemen were on his premises.

Also discovered were several overhead tanks that belonged to one Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed who owns a pure water factory in the area.

Police told Saturday PUNCH that Suleiman insisted that he woke up and discovered that all his overhead tanks were filled with crude oil.

Our correspondent learnt that residents had lined up to fetch water when crude oil started gushing out of the tap.

Residents were said to have started struggling to fetch the crude oil before the police stormed the area.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday Ibadin, who is in-charge of the taskforce, said on August 22, 2013, he got an intelligence report that some individuals were carting away gallons of crude oil from a village in Kogi state.

He said, “Policemen led by Kogi Sector Commander, Dawn Eremie, stormed the premises and discovered a well filled with crude oil as well as empty kegs littered in the compound. The owner of the house disappeared while his wife who was met compound claimed that they discovered that their well was filled with crude oil. She admitted that they made attempts to scoop the oil in a bid to get clean water for domestic use.

“In the course of investigation, it was also discovered that the nearby pure water factory which belongs to one Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed had crude oil filled in its tank. Investigation is ongoing while we are still on the trail of the owner of the house who is currently at large.