‘Pipeline vandals recruited from riverine areas’

The Nigerian Police Force has alleged that the suspected vandals that destroyed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation pipelines at Arepo village, Ogun, were recruited from Ondo State riverine areas.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the Inspector-General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, Mr. Friday Ibadin, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Wednesday.
Ibadin said the Arepo vandals went to Ondo State for the recruitment, after losing 30 of their members to a pipeline explosion recently in Ogun.
He said that preliminary investigations into the last pipeline explosion revealed that some young men were brought to Lagos from riverine areas of Ondo State, to replace the dead members of the group.
The preference for riverine dwellers, NAN learnt, is because of their ability to swim as most of the pipelines being vandalised are in the creeks.
“One of the suspects arrested after the last explosion in Arepo, who identified himself as Computer, claimed that he was invited to Lagos along with two others by one Igbekorowa, (suspected ring leader of pipeline vandals).
“According to the suspect, the person that invited them did not state the nature of the job waiting for them, because they believe he is a big man, and can assist them with good jobs,” Ibadin told NAN.
NaijaCenter