A security guard with Topline Security Service, Abdulrazaq Mohammed, is in police net for allegedly leading a group of vandals to syphon petroleum products from pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Lagos.
Mohammed was arrested along with three others by policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Lagos State police command. While the Topline Security guard was arrested about 3:00a.m. one Saturday at Idimu, the three others were arrested at Abule Egba at 3.30 a.m.
The police said that the four suspects were arrested based on a tip-off from members of the public who called to complain of the criminal activities of the group in the area.
The police said they recovered two 33,000-litre truck, a motorcycle and charms from the gang.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, who paraded the suspects before newsmen, described them as “enemies of the nation”, whose only interest was to work against the intention of government and the people.
Edgal said that the men were among numerous vandals who burst open exposed pipelines with a view to syphoning products for sale.
He said that luck ran against the gang members when they were rounded up by RRS operatives who were on a surveillance mission in the area.
He said, “The activities of this group have caused so many fire outbreaks along pipeline communities. After drilling holes into the pipes, they will settle down to pump the product into an awaiting tanker. They will later sell the products to buyers.
“Mohammed was arrested alone along the pipeline. He is the one who invited the tanker drivers to the area. He and other gang members will soon be charged to court, while the two trucks will be forfeited to government.”
However, Mohammed said that he was on surveillance duty when he was arrested, adding he was on phone calling for back- up from his office when the policemen arrived.
“I was actually asking for back-up security from our office when I saw the vandals siphoning petrol. There were hundreds of them that I saw. I quickly hid myself in the bush because if the vandals see me they will overpower me.
“I rode to the place around 3:00a.m. on my motorcycle when I sighted the vandals. I am not a criminal, I was arrested because one of the policemen claimed he arrested because of what one of my colleagues did to him,” he said.
