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.
