By Tunde Oso

The Sector ‘C’ Coordinator of the Surveillance and Enforcement Team of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro has raised the alarm that men in police uniform are after his life.

Akpodoro stated this in a release at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, Saturday, copies of which were made available to newsmen.

The men, according to the former warrior, have vowed to kill him. He stated that one Assistant Superintendent of Police (names withheld) is leading the killer squad that is trailing him with the aim of silencing him.

According to Akpodoro, his trouble started when he petitioned the President through the Chief of Staff to the President, Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari, alleging underhand dealings by the men in police uniform with illegal oil bunkerers, oil thieves, wellhead thieves, products adulterators in the oil-rich state.

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He stressed that in addition to the CoS, others petitioned included the Police Service Commission, PSC; Inspector General of Police, IGP; the National Security Adviser to the President, NSA, Babangana Monguno and others.

Akpodoro maintained that the men in police uniform have been protecting the economic saboteurs whose lives, he added, depend on stealing and marketing petroleum products for quick money.

He alleged that these men were hand-in-glove with leaders of trailer drivers, who convey stolen products, which he noted underscores the interest of the newly-promoted and posted officers.

He averred that one of the top brass of the men called to threaten him that: “If you don’t back out of that rubbish case against my boss, you will know what it means …”.

At this juncture, Akpodoro said, he had to relocate from his home to forestall being killed by “the blood thirsty gang.”

Recall that Akpodoro was appointed early in the year by the Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo-led presidency as the Coordinator of the IPMAN Team covering the entire Delta State with proven records of achievements.

The IPMAN outfit in collaboration with the men of the Operation Delta Safe, OPDS, had destroyed over 50m litres of allegedly stolen Automotive Gas Oil, AGO; wellhead thieves were busted; while pipeline vandalism and products adulteration was reduced in the state.

According to the Urhobo-born ex-militant leader, “my operations in the state were too hot for the economic saboteurs, who disguise as product marketers and truck drivers’ association.

“But they are actually the kingpins of the rampaging criminals in the distribution chain of the oil sector,” noting that no amount of intimidation can stop the war against vandalism in Delta State.

Vanguard News Nigeria