Navy arrests two Beninoise, three others over pipeline vandalism

By EVELYN USMAN

LAGOS — Two Benin Republic nationals and three others have been arrested by operatives of Beecroft of the Nigerian Navy over alleged vandalism in Lagos.

They were alleged to have vandalised pipeline in Makoko area of the state.

Recovered from the suspects were 270 jerricans filled with siphoned petroleum products.

The Benin Republic nationals, however, told Vanguard that they were fishermen, who fished in Nigeria’s waters in company of some Nigerians.

[caption id="attachment_411991" align="alignnone" width="412"] The suspects[/caption]

Parading the suspects before newsmen, yesterday, the Base Operations Officer, Commander Tanko Lengaya, explained that the suspects were arrested in the early hours of Saturday following a tip-off.

He said: “Patrol boats were immediately deployed from Atlas Cove in the process of which the suspects were intercepted at Makoko area in two canoes loaded with 270  50-litre jerricans filled with the siphoned products and 49 empty  jerricans.”

Preliminary investigation, according to him, revealed that the suspects were working with vandals who, after siphoning the product, would hand them over to the arrested suspects for onward sales to ready buyers.

He said the suspects and the exhibits would be handed over either to the police or officials of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

But on their parts, the suspects claimed they were fishermen who were compelled by some vandals to take the products to the shore.

According to a 27-year-old Joten Seigi from Cotonou, Benin Republic, “I came from Cotonou to fish in Nigeria. On that fateful day, I was in the company of two of my friends, Segun and Victor, when we saw some people on the sea.

"We had not even caught any fish on that day. The people told us to help them take the filled jerricans to the shore, saying they would pay us N5,000. We were tempted by the amount since we had not made any money. Barely had we loaded the boat and were on our way to the shore that we were rounded up  by some Naval personnel.

“My regret is that my parents back home are not aware of my whereabouts. I did not even get the money promised at the end of the day. The worste part is that those who gave us the products are nowhere to be found, thereby leaving us to our fate.”

My arrest caused  by greed

On his part, Bambou Oritshebinone from Ondo State, said he would not have been arrested but for greed.

He said: “I own the engine while Victor owns the boat. I usually rent my engine out for N2,000. But when Victor told me he would pay N5,000, I thought he had a lucrative business he wanted to do. So, I told him I must join him in the deal, even though he resisted initially.

"I thought I could get more than the amount he promised to pay if I joined him. When we got to the sea and started loading the filled jerricans into my boat, I decided to increase the price to N7,000 which they agreed, only to be arrested mid way. Had I known, I would have remained in my house.”

 

Incessant pipeline vandalism: Lagos blames negligence on FG

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS — Lagos State Government has blamed the Federal Government for its inaction and negligence over incessant cases of oil pipelines vandalism and degradation in the state.

It equally condemned alleged ongoing arrest of innocent residents around Idimu/Ejigbo Local Council Development Areas, LCDA, by Nigeria Civil Defence Corps NCDC, without proper investigation over suspicion that they were responsible for oil pollution of underground wells in the area, saying the residents should be protected rather than being arrested.

Arrest

It would be recalled that NCDC officials last week allegedly invaded Ejigbo and arrested some residents including a pregnant woman, for alleged NNPC pipelines vandalism.

Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello who spoke weekend, noted that while the state government supported every action of the Federal Government to curb stealing of petroleum products and pipeline vandalism in the nation, it, however, frowned at any act that could constitute an infraction on the rights of residents of the affected areas through wanton and unjust arrests by officials of NSCDC.

Bello speaks

According Bello “Lagos State Government expresses serious reservations over indiscriminate arrest of innocent residents around Idimu/Ejigbo areas of the state, without proper investigation over suspicion that they are responsible for oil pollution of underground wells. We recollect that successive administrations in the state has drawn the attention of the Federal Government to concomitant of hazards being experienced by residents of Baruwa-Ipaja, Ilado, Amuwo-Odofin, Ejigbo among others through polluted boreholes, contamination of underground water, ruptured pipelines and seepage of pipelines. Yet, no visible action has regrettably been taken till date by respective agencies of the Federal Government.

Records of official letters

“The state government has records showing that official letters were written by the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000. More importantly, the present administration of Mr. Babatunde Fashola, equally wrote a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke respectively, complaining about serious oil pollution and high level of degradation that residents of these areas are daily exposed to without any meaningful result coming forth.

“The Lagos State Government in these correspondences did not only complain but also suggested to the Federal Government to consider modern methods of protecting oil pipelines across the nation including casing and tamper proof warning devices among other contemporary methods.”

“A case in point is the Diamond Estate where over 137 boreholes/deep wells are affected by the seepage of petroleum products as a result of pipeline vandalism destroying the source of portable water of inhabitants. Two of the estate’s housing units are now seriously affected while their boreholes have turned into oil wells and without any noticeable remedial action from the NNPC.”

Need to conduct integrity test

The commissioner, urged the NNPC to earnestly conduct an integrity test on its numerous pipelines in the state, as well as provide the Lagos State Government with necessary information that would guide the moderation of planned stakeholders to determine how to prevent future re-occurrence.

Legal action against FG/residents’ petition

While reacting to the petition written by residents, the commissioner argued that the arrest of residents, especially in a democracy, could only be meaningful after a thorough investigation necessary to ascertain the degree of neglect by relevant government agencies have been ascertained. “It would be wrong to punish the people for an offence that they were not responsible for.”

However, the arrested residents claimed that, they have complained severally over the years to NNPC about the pollution of their underground water and ruptured pipelines without any action been taken. They were however taken aback when men of Nigerian Civil Defence Corps invaded their premises and arrested them.

As a matter of fact, one of the arrested residents claimed that, officials of NNPC promised to come over to their residence on Monday before they were arrested over the weekend, by men of Nigerian Civil Defence Corps.

Bello, therefore urged, Community Development Associations CDAs and leaders in the affected communities to institute legal actions against the Federal Government over the exposure of their communities to danger arising from neglect of NNPC to perform its statutory responsibility.