Edo taskforce arrests six suspected vandals of Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline

Six persons have been arrested in connection with the vandalisation of the Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline at Ekperi in Edo State

The act, it was gathered, caused major damage to the Warri-Kaduna pipeline as the suspected vandals were said to have stolen about 30km length of the pipes.

The Chairman of the Edo State Task Force on Recovery of Government Property, Eugene Okolosie, made the disclosure while highlighting some achievements of the Task Force.

Okolosie said that the six arrested suspects were believed to have carried out the dastardly act in collusion with some members of the Ekperi Community.

According to him, the suspects used excavators to dig out the pipes meant to convey crude oil from Warri to the Kaduna refinery, adding that some of the pipes had been recovered from the syndicate.

This was just as he disclosed that another set of five suspects, believed to have vandalised a government agricultural tractor and other heavy equipment, had equally been arrested at Uhuoghun in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, while five others were nabbed at Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area for stealing high-tension electricity equipment.

Okolosie, who decried the high rate of encroachment on and stealing of government lands, including reserved areas in all parts of the state, added that the taskforce had recovered 480 hectares of government land sold illegally by some community members.

“In Sobe, the people sold the Melina and Tick trees planted by the government in the Reserved Forest Area RFA). They destroyed the forest and started planting plantains on it. This has been going on for the past eight years,” Okolosie said.

He added that most of the lands being sold illegally by community youth leaders and others in various communities were government-reserved lands.

The taskforce chairman expressed worry over the rate land meant for development was being sold in the state, concerning the Ewomama community, where the civic centre, generator, market and the Community Secondary School land were sold.

He, however, said the government had recovered the lands sold illegally.

More worrisome, according to Okolosie, is the discovery that illegal land grabbers had, particularly, descended on school lands across the state, adding that there was hardly any school that had not been invaded, citing Uromi, where a private school was built inside a public school.

While lamenting that “Anybody that attacks education is attacking the future of his community”, Okoloise commended the state government for assisting the taskforce to achieve the much as it had achieved and warned members of the public to beware of impersonators claiming to be members of the taskforce and demanding money from them.

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