Police Arrest Two for Economic Sabotage, Diversion of Petroleum Product

Police Operatives have arrested two suspects Tope Ojo and Nojeem Haruna for their complicity in a case of economic sabotage and diversion of aviation fuel valued at about forty-six million Naira.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, DSP Oluniyi Ogundeyi, the arrest follows a petition addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) by a civic-minded Nigerian, alerting the Force-CID of plots by some hoodlums to intercept and divert petroleum products worth billions of Naira.

“Preliminary investigations by the Annex, in compliance with the IGP’s directives, revealed that a tanker trailer loaded with aviation fuel was intercepted by the principal suspect – Tope Ojo – and his gang members at Ilesha in Osun State.

The suspects, having taken control of the tanker trailer, successfully trans-loaded the product into another tanker before proceeding to maliciously destroy the initial tanker conveying the product. Detailed investigations conducted by the Force-CID, Lagos Annex, Alagbon, have since established a prima facie case of economic sabotage, diversion of aviation fuel, stealing, and malicious damage, against the arrested suspects and other members of their gang still at large.”

Meanwhile, investigators from the Annex are beaming their searchlight on habitual receivers of these stolen products and other suspects, that aid and abet the crime by providing transportation and storage facilities for the stolen products.”

Furthermore, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of the Force-CID, Lagos Annex, Alagbon, AIG Frank Mba, mni has charged the investigators to arrest all the suspects linked to the crime.

He also warned that economic sabotage must be confronted as they have sure consequences on national development.