Damenews Four men allegedly involved in oil theft were yesterday handed over to the Lagos State Police Command by the Nigerian Navy. The four men are working with Tantita, a private security agency established by popular Niger delta activist, Government Ekpemupolo aka. Tompolo. The company, Tantita, was given the task of protecting oil installations in the Niger delta by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The four suspects who allegedly engaged in oil theft, National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP can report, were caught in the act by officers of the Nigerian Navy, 4th Operating Base Lekki. They had in possession a wooden boat which contained eleven 1000-litres GP tanks with stolen crude oil.
During the handover which took place at the Nigeria Police, Lagos Command HQ., the Navy Commander, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga revealed: ‘These men were apprehended at Ibeju-Lekki. A distress call was received from the community that gunshots were heard in the community. The men from 4th Operating Base Lekki responded and on getting to the waterfront, they met four men dressed in black polo T-shirt with Tantita written at their back, they were trying to forcefully collect a 300hp outdoor engine from a local. These 4 men are part of a group escorting a wooden boat which contained 11 1000-litre GP tanks with petroleum product suspected to be stolen crude oil. We are here to hand them over with the exhibits to the Lagos State Police Command to unravel the circumstances.’
‘This is also to encourage law-abiding citizens of coastal communities that security agencies will not relent towards ensuring that the environment is conducive for them to do what is in accordance with the law. It also reinforces the synergy of security agencies in Lagos. We will not leave any ground for anybody to carry out nefarious acts’, NAOSNP gathered from Navy Cmdr. Oguntuga.
In his response, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Idowu Owohunwa noted: ‘Two clear statements have been made today. That in Lagos the security architecture is strongly built on synergy between the Police, Army, Navy, and other state security agencies, we are a strong united force. And also that there is increasing trust in the capacity of the Police to undertake professionally guided investigative activity.’
‘We will take in the suspects, exhibits, and work with sister agencies that Lagos state is a no-go area’, CP Owohunwa indicated as the handover notes were signed.
