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Navy arrests Police inspector, others in burst on hotel used to steal fuel from NNPC pipeline

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Navy arrests Police inspector, others in burst on hotel used to steal fuel from NNPC pipeline

Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) attached to the Operation Awatse outfit, have busted a syndicate which alleged specializes in stealing fuel from an NNPC pipeline that passes the Egbeda area of Lagos State.

The suspects allegedly operated from a hotel identified as Glonik Hotel located at 31, Social Club Road, Abule Egba, where Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is siphoned from the pipeline of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Among those arrested was a serving inspector of the Nigeria Police.

According to Chris Akokota, AWATSE’s Maritime Component Commanding Officer, the hotel premises was busted after a tip-off.

Akokota said: “At 8am this morning (Wednesday), we got some information from Toplink Security personnel of some criminals perpetrating illegal acts of siphoning PMS products through an NNPC pipeline outside the hotel.

“Upon the information, we quickly deployed our men and when we got here, we realised that most of the top management staff had escaped through the back gate.

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“The junior staff and a policeman, who had stayed here in the past six months, were arrested. We tried to investigate the situation and observed all. When we got here, we noticed the smashed screens and broken bottles. Apparently, there might have been a fight before our arrival.

“We discovered that a fully loaded tanker, which still had the hose on it was parked beside the hotel. It seems the tanker developed fault. We learnt that two others had left and they were waiting for the third one to go so that others can be loaded.

“We also saw about 16 jerry cans filled with PMS with six empty ones and they were all embedded in the vehicles parked in the hotel.”

Among those arrested during the raid include; Inspector Lukeman Rabiu of the Lagos Police Command X-Squad Unit, receptionist Gladys Daniel, waitress Rachael Oludara, housekeeper, Adegoke Adetunji, tanker driver, Waliu Teller, Oluwaseun Oguntoyin, Victor Vincent, 19 and Bobola Kuti, 28.

However, Inspector Rabiu who allegedly had N1.4 million, a laptop and other valuables in his car when he was nabbed denied being a member of the gang claiming he never noticed anything strange in the hotel and was not aware fuel theft was going on there.

“I do not know anything about it. It is not like I stay here permanently. I stay in Ogun State but in order to meet up with our meetings, I lodge here on the days we have meeting and I pay directly to the manager. I never noticed anything strange. I did not survey the environment. I have known this place for about five years and I just come here,” Inspector Rabiu said.

 

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