*Suspects apprehended with 700, 50 litres PMF
*AIG reads riot act on security in Niger-Delta

By Kingsley Omonobi

The Zone 5 Police headquarters in Benin has arrested 14 suspected oil thieves and pipeline vandals who specialize in breaking petroleum products distribution pipelines and siphoning the products at Obazagbon Village, in Uhunmode Local Government Area of Edo State. At the end of the operation which took place at about 2. 30 am last week, jerry cans filled with a total of 700,050 litres of petroleum products were recovered as well as vehicles used for the operation.

AIG speaks
Disclosing this to Crime Alert, Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge Zone 5, Abubakar Adamu said, “Operatives of Zone X Squad, while acting on credible intelligence arrested 14 suspected vandals who specialize in oil bunkering and vandalism. The suspects were arrested at about 0230 hours around Obazagbon village, Uhunmode LGA of Edo State while trying to escape with stolen products.

“Items recovered from them include; one J5 bus loaded with 171 jerry cans filled with petroleum products suspected to have been stolen from the NNPC pipeline at Obazagbon village, along with 39 empty jerry cans. There was also one Fiat bus loaded with 189 jerry cans filled with petroleum; another Fiat bus loaded with 160 filled jerry cans of petroleum products; yet another Fiat bus also loaded with 180 filled jerry cans of petroleum products; and one Mercedes Benz, one Audi car and one Motorcycle were also recovered. The suspects have made useful statements to the Police and will soon be charged to court while investigation continues,” he said.

Preparation for yuletide
Meanwhile, as the Yuletide period approaches, AIG Abubakar Adamu has impressed upon Commissioners of Police in charge of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States the importance of beefing up security in their states to checkmate increased criminal activities such as kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, economic sabotage of oil and gas facilities. Abubakar gave the order when he summoned the Commissioners to an emergency meeting in Benin with a view to evolving new strategies to restore sanity in the zone.  The meeting which lasted over three hours, laid emphasis on police readiness to provide adequate security to guarantee lives and property during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

Security measures adopted
The meeting also strategized on measures to contain herdsmen, chieftaincy disputes and communal clashes which are said to be sources of frequent clashes in the zone.
The AIG also charged the Commissioners of Police of the three states to step-up action that will make their commands unsafe for all criminals in the coming days and months.  He further directed the commissioners to continue to implement proactive crime prevention and control strategies and to uphold robust community partnerships with strategic partners and critical stakeholders in crime prevention and control in their respective commands, noting that it is one of the modern ways of resolving conflict and reducing crimes to the barest minimum.
The AIG used the occasion to re-appraise the security and crime preventive measures in the Zone and adopted a more robust and proactive crime prevention techniques that would enhance security of lives and property of residents in the Zone.

Meeting with tactical commanders
A similar meeting with the tactical Commanders within the zone was also held with the AIG. At the meeting were Commanders of the Special Protection Unit (SPU), Base 5 Benin, and Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) Base 5 Warri. Others are Commanders of Police Mobile Force (PMF) such as 5 PMF Benin, 30 PMF Yenagoa, 31 PMF Asaba, 51 PMF Oghara, Delta State and 60 PMF Auchi, Edo State.

He tasked the tactical commanders on the need to provide intervention units and tactical squads to complement the efforts of the conventional policemen in the quest to stamp out all forms of criminality in the zone.  While assuring residents of the Zone that the Police under his command is poised to guarantee security of lives and property, Adamu added that the operations of the Police under his watch will be guided by the ethics of professionalism, respect for fundamental human rights and zero tolerance for corruption.