By Kemi Kasumu, General Editor
The Lagos State Police Command has said that investigations were ongoing over the October 4, 2017 discovered oil bunkering discovered in a hotel in Abule Egba, Lagos, through where Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol was being siphoned from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline facilities.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Famous Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), told The DEFENDER in a telephone chat Tuesday afternoon.
It would be recalled that operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN), attached to the Operation Awatse in Lagos, had on Wednesday October 4 uncovered the hotel, said to belong an Igbo man simply called Bashorun, who was said to have usually been coming to the place to meet with the hotel manager, Osipo Chris and some of the vandals used in the economic crime.
The operatives led by the AWATSE’s Maritime Component Commanding Officer, Commander Chris Akokota also arrested eight suspects including a Police Inspector at the premises of the hotel named, Glonik Hotel, situated at 31, Social Club Road, Abule Egba, Lagos.
The suspects arrested were Inspector Lukeman Rabiu of the Lagos Police Command X-Squad Unit, the receptionist Gladys Daniel, the waitress Rachael Oludara (22), housekeeper, Adegoke Adetunji (20), tanker driver Waliu Teller (41), Oluwaseun Oguntoyin (20), Victor Vincent (19) and Bobola Kuti (28).
It was gathered that three 33,000 litres tankers were loaded overnight, two left while the third one with registration number EPE367XE developed technical problems and was abandoned at an improvised loading bay beside the hotel.
At the time of visitation alongside some naval officers, there were two other empty tankers on the street while pieces of broken bottles, chattered windscreens, hose and fuel laden jerry cans were in the hotel. Also, clips used to grip hose on pumping machines were seen in room 209 which was said to have been occupied by another policeman who fled.
When called over the matter, Tuesday afternoon, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Famous Cole, said, “This issue has been addressed by the police about two weeks ago when some suspected vandals were arrested and their equipment used to vandalise government property were also recovered. Investigation is also going on to arrest more,” he said.
