Authorities in Edo State have apprehended six suspects linked to the vandalism of the Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline in Ekperi, where nearly 30 kilometres of pipeline infrastructure were reportedly dug up.
Eugene Okolosie, Chairman of the Edo State Task Force on Recovery of Government Property, disclosed this to journalists in Benin. He stated that the suspects allegedly conspired with local community members to carry out the theft, employing heavy-duty equipment like excavators to dig up and extract underground pipes meant for transporting crude oil from Warri to the Kaduna refinery.
Okolosie added that some of the stolen pipeline components have been recovered, and investigations are ongoing to determine the full scale of the operation and identify other individuals involved.
In a related crackdown, the Task Force also arrested five persons in Uhuoghun, Orhionmwon Local Council, for vandalising a government-owned tractor along with other heavy-duty equipment, which they reportedly intended to sell.
Five more suspects were arrested in Okpella for the theft of high-tension electricity infrastructure. Okolosie expressed worry over the increasing incidents of illegal encroachment and the sale of government lands across Edo, noting that 480 hectares of public land, which had been unlawfully sold by members of various communities, were recovered in the state.
