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The
Suspects
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One Iyiola Adeyinka, who
was arrested along with 42 others for allegedly engaging in illegal oil
bunkering in Ikeja, Lagos State, says they realize about ₦20m on a daily basis
from the sale of adulterated diesel.
PUNCH
Metro report continues:
The
40-year-old man explained that he and his gang members supplied the product,
which was reportedly mixed with kerosene, to banks and companies in the state
at reduced prices to ensure high patronage.
It
was learnt that the suspects worked with a company, Globjin Petroleum Limited,
on Plot 8, Elephant Cement Way, Alausa, Ikeja, owned by one Alhaji Lukumon
Ojena.
It
was gathered that operatives of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and
Special Offences (Enforcement Unit) raided the firm’s premises on Friday after
receiving a tip-off.
The
suspects were said to have been caught in the act with 2.5 million litres of
the adulterated product loaded in jerrycans and six 33,000-litre tankers.
Ojena
and other workers were said to be at large.
Adeyinka,
who hails from Ilero, Oyo State, told operatives that about ₦20m diesel was
sold daily from the five pumps in the firm.
He
said, “We buy diesel and mix it with kerosene. We sell to people, banks and
telecommunications companies. I sell up to ₦4m diesel per day.
“Some
major oil firms supply us diesel and kerosene. The owner of the business,
Alhaji Lukumon Ojena, pay us ₦4,000 per day and we work at night.”
Another
arrested worker, Nonso Mordi, 25, from Delta State said the “business” was
lucrative, adding that each worker was paid between ₦3,000 to ₦4,000 per day.
“We
have very good contacts with major oil marketers who supply us diesel and
kerosene every day for mixing and onward sales,” he added.
The
Head, Public Affairs Unit of the task force, Adebayo Taofiq, who said the firm
had been sealed off, added that a preliminary investigation revealed that it
had been operating in the area for seven years,
He
said, “Forty-three suspects were nabbed and, with 2.5 million litres of
adulterated diesel. The premises was sealed off. The Chairman of the Lagos
State Task Force, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, said his men acted on save-our-soul
petitions submitted to his office.
“The
suspects were caught while mixing diesel with kerosene. Preliminary
investigations with available documents revealed that the illegal business has
been on for over seven years.
“Adulterated
diesel was loaded inside gallons and six different trucks with number plates,
FST 615 XR, EPE 672 XC, DKW 05 XA, KTU 750 XN, BDG 717 XA, FKJ 327 XH and XR 95
LSD.”
Egbeyemi
urged members of the public to report any illegal activity around them to appropriate
government authorities through the Lagos Emergency Toll-free lines 112 and 767.
The
chairman said, “The Lagos State Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni, has
directed that those arrested in connection with the adulterated diesel be
immediately charged to court.”
One
of the owners of the firm, who spoke on behalf of other partners, Kehinde
Alabi, debunked the claim that the diesel was adulterated.
He
said, “The task force invaded the storage facility illegally and arrested 43 of
our workers and later released 26 of them. It earlier sealed off the premises
and reopened it on Saturday as the property belonged to a former Military
Governor of Lagos, Raji Rasaki, who also owns an office on the premises.
“Our
activities are certified by the Department of Petroleum Resources and the
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Rather than the task force demanding
documents that certified our activities at the site on their arrival on the
premises, they impounded our products.”
“The products at the depot were bought from NNPC and Oando for sale to companies that could not afford to buy them in large quantity.”
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