Pipeline breaking business is very lucrative...... Suspect

I make N50,000 daily from breaking pipelines – welder Published April 26, 2017 Share Tweet   Share Samson Folarin A suspected pipeline vandal, Fatai Karounwi , has said he makes N50 , 000 every day in the illegal act , adding that he had vandalised over 40 pipes before he was arrested by the police . Karounwi , aka Kokoro , who said he had been into the illegal act for the past three years , added that he was introduced to the crime by a friend , Oyebanji Agboola, aka Fish. Karounwi and Agboola were among 10 suspected militants and vandals paraded by the Zone 2 Police Command , Onikan , Lagos State on Tuesday . Others are Tochukwu Ohanexim, 38 ; Oluwadamilare Ojo , 32 ; Akeju Adeniyi, 38 ; Musbau Afolabi , 29 ; Musa Akanbi , 32 ; Yusuf Ajiboye , 26 ; Ojo Ige , 28 ; and Innocent Ikechukwu , 42 . Karounwi , in his confessional statement , said they always moved in large numbers whenever they were going for any operation . He said , “ I am an ‘ engineer. ’ I live at Ogijo and was arrested after I received a phone call from my friend . I didn ’ t know that the police had arrested him . I work with the vandals . I usually assist in drilling holes into pipelines . We move into the high sea to steal the fuel. They pay me N50 , 000 any day I work with them. I have vandalised more than 40 different pipelines . We are usually many that go for pipeline vandalism operations . We work on land and sea . “ A friend of mine, Fish , introduced me to pipeline vandalism . I have been working with this set of vandals for two months, but I have been into pipeline vandalism for the past three years . ” Some of the suspects , however , said the pipelines were sometime vandalised by guards employed to watch over the pipelines at the Ogijo and Ikorodu areas of Lagos State . They said after damaging the pipelines and siphoning the fuel, the guards would hand them over to their wives , who would sell to members of the public . Ikechukwu , who claimed to be a buyer of the stolen product , said , “ I don ’ t buy fuel from the men; I buy from women . Their husbands are the vandals . They give the women the fuel and the women sell to us . My profit margin , most times , is only N500 . ” Another suspect , Ohanezim, said he bought directly from the guards . The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer , SP Dolapo Badmos , said the police recovered two pump - action rifles, four live cartridges , two pumping machines , one army bullet -proof vest, one army fez cap and one Toyota Corolla . Badmos , who said the operation was conducted by the Zonal Intervention Squad , added that the team acted on the directive of the Assistant Inspector - General of Police , Adamu Ibrahim . She said , “ The AIG, angered by the recent ambush and murder of four policemen and an army captain at Isawo by militant vandals , ordered the ZIS to ensure vigilance and also rid the community of criminals . “ Information was received by the commander of the ZIS that suspected militants, who were also vandals responsible for the murder of security operatives in Isawo recently , were noticed around Ogijo, in the Ikorodu area . Detectives were detailed to track down the hoodlums , leading to the arrest of the suspects . We also recovered 150 jerrycans of petroleum product from them. ” Copyright PUNCH . All rights reserved . This material , and other digital content on this website , may not be reproduced , published , broadcast , rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH .