Ocean divers in the Qua Iboe River in the Eket Local Government Area have discovered a yet-to-be identified corpse they believe to be one of the oil thieves who specialized in damaging oil pipelines providing gas to the Ibom Power Plant at Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Rex Uko, a stakeholder and community leader in the region, said in a statement on Sunday that the body was found after three days in the Qua Iboe River’s creek in the nearby oil village of Eket LGA.
When maritime police patrolled the creeks in response to reports of pipeline vandalism, the dead body was discovered floating in the river.
Many of the suspects, it was learned, dove into the river to avoid being apprehended by maritime police officers, but “sadly, one of them drowned, while others escaped.”
According to the statement, one of the suspects, a cultist named Mbet-Obong Robson, who is allegedly the chief coordinator of other pipeline vandals from Bayelsa and other Niger Delta states, was apprehended with tools they allegedly used to destroy the pipelines, including a flying boat, life jacket, oxygen cylinder, iron cutter, hacksaw, generator, motorcycle, and helmet.
He said, “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.”
He therefore urged the young to lead the charge in safeguarding oil pipelines in coastal towns and instructed the regular police to diligently pursue the suspect in order to emulate the success of their maritime counterpart and serve as a warning to others.
