A commercial driver, Jide Falayo who was nabbed by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for distributing fuel from vandalized pipeline, says he took to vandalism following his inability to secure a better job. He explained that he is paid N3,000 daily for the job.
Falayo, while being paraded alongside 11 other suspects, said he transports the product from Ijedodo and Ijegun to the Isolo area of the state.
It was learnt that the Inspector-General of Police Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism last Friday arrested the suspected vandals in the Ijegun area of the state while acting on a tip-off.
The suspected vandals were alleged to have sneaked into the area on the fateful day with two tankers and a Nissan bus to vandalize pipelines.
Falayo alongside the other suspects, were said to be loading the fuel into the vehicles when they were apprehended and taken to the Ikotun Police Division for interrogation.
The police recovered a total of 42,800 litres of petrol from the suspects while the vehicles were also impounded.
Commenting on the crime, Falayo, who drove the Nissan bus, disclosed that he was responsible for the transportation of the loaded kegs to customers in the Isolo area, adding that he was paid N3,000 on a daily basis by a vandal, who he identified only as Baba Ope.
He further revealed that his inability to secure a job led him into the business which he had been doing for two months.
Falayo said, “I was invited by Baba Ope in September 2015. He is my boss and he also owns the Nissan bus. My work is to drive the bus anytime they load it with kegs of petrol. I usually convey the fuel to Isolo. I wanted to deliver the goods to the customers when I was arrested.
“I do not know what the customers do with the fuel. I was arrested with 28 containers and each one carries about 1,000 litres. Baba Ope had assured me that there was no way I would be arrested since he had a good relationship with the police.
“I was surprised when I was arrested. When the policemen arrested me, they asked me to take them to my boss’ house but unfortunately, we did not meet him at home. The police are still looking for him.”
Also speaking, one of the suspected vandals, Azeez Suleiman stated that he was forced into vandalism by armed vandals who threatened to kill him if he refused.
“I am a truck driver and I was invited by one of my friends who normally looked for jobs for me to take my truck to Ijegun for loading. I did not know it was a vandals’ base. When I got there, I saw the vandals and my friend lied that they were security men patrolling the area. After parking my truck, I saw a boat loaded with containers of fuel. Minutes later, they started to load the containers into my truck.
“When I saw this, I protested and wanted to go back, but the vandals beat me up, and threatened to kill me if I resisted. That was how I conveyed their fuel. My friend was helpless. I was beaten to the point where I had no option but to agree with them. It was while I was about leaving the area that the police arrested us. The vandals had fled,” Suleiman said.
The Commander of the Task Force, CSP Valentine Olumhense, said those arrested would be made to face the full wrath of the law while the recovered petrol would be returned to the appropriate authorities.
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