By Bayonle Adegbola
Two Suspects, Tope Ojo and Nojeem Haruna were arrested by the operatives of the force Criminal Investigative Department (Forever -CID), Lagos Annex Alagbon for their action in a case of economic sabotage and diversion of aviation fuel which is valued to N46 million.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday signed by Force CID, Lagos annex, Police Public Relations Officer Oluniyi Ogundeyi.
It was gathered that the arrest followed 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 followed the directions 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 search light 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.
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 ensure that all suspects linked to the crime are arrested and brought to book. The AIG noted that economic sabotage has dire consequences on national development, and therefore must be confronted frontally. The AIG further assured members of the public of prompt and unbiased investigations of all pending and new cases submitted to the office.