Nemesis As Crude Oil Thief Drowns In Well Trying To Escape

Nemesis may have caught up with a crude oil thief, as he has drowned in a well while trying to escape.

The yet to be identified oil thief is said to specialise in vandlaising pipelines supplying gas to the Akwa Ibom Plant at Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom.

The body has been recovered by ocean divers in Qua Iboe River in Eket LGA a report in the Punch indicates.

Rex Uko, who is a community leader and stakeholder in the area, said that it took three days to recover the corpse from the creeks of Qua Iboe River, in Eket LGA.

A tip off led to marine police to raid the area, obviously led to a stampeded and desperate efforts by the criminals to escape. Others succeeded but one of them could not make it as his body was found floating on the river afterwards.

The statement added that another alleged crude oil thief, a cultist, identified as Mbet-Obong Robson, alleged to be the chief coordinator of other vandals from Bayelsa and other Niger Delta states, was arrested with items such as flying boat, life jacket, oxygen cylinder, iron cutter, hacksaw, generator, motorcycle and helmet, with which they used in destroying the pipelines.

According to Uko, “The marine police operatives stationed at the Marina Beach, Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have apprehended one Mbet-obong Robson, a member of a gang of oil pipeline vandals and recovered items such as flying boat, hacksaw, generator, motorcycle, life jacket, oxygen cylinder, iron cutter and others.

“These items were used in breaking the pipelines, which almost ignited fire with thick smoke released into the atmosphere. During the process of raiding by the police, other members of the gang escaped into the thick swamp, while others jumped into the Qua Iboe River and escaped.

“The matter was, thereafter, reported at the Divisional Police Station at Abat, headquarters of Onna. Our concerns and fears are that, if the matter of this magnitude is not properly dealt with by the law enforcement agents, their sponsors, who claimed to be the who is who, claiming ownership of the community could bribe the police to release the principal suspect to continue in the trade, which is an economic sabotage to the nation.

“If not for the timely intervention of the marine police, a vast area of about 6.5 kilometres would have been gutted by fire with loss of lives, properties and oil installations.

“The gas pipelines are owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria and was laid across the area by Seven Exploration and Production Company in 2012, to supply gas to the Ibom Power plant at Ikot Abasi LGA.”

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Uko also appealed to the regular police to follow to compliment the efforts of the marine police the prompt prosecution of the suspect, to serve as a warning to others.

He also enjoined the youth to be in the vanguard of securing oil pipelines in the coastal communities.