Joy Anyim
Two oil wells were on Monday, uncovered by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), at No. 2 and 4, Surprise Avenue in Ejibgo area of Lagos State.
The oil wells, it was learnt, were used to store petroleum products siphoned from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline, and subsequently sold to residents.
While two suspected owners of the oil wells, Vitoria Ogunsomi and Shafe Abayomi, were arrested, sources at IRT office in Lagos revealed that the suspects, had been in the illegal business for years.
It was also gathered that the suspects met their waterloo, when the police unit, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari got wind of their activities, following a tipoff from residents of the area, who feared the worst, should there be a fire outbreak.
Preliminary investigation revealed Ogunsomi and Abayomi, had allegedly dug 75 foot wells in their compound, which is located few meters away from the NNPC pipeline, and they connected pipes with submissive pumping machines into the well linking with the pipeline.
Sources explained that whenever the NNPC is transporting its products along the pipeline, Ogunsomi and Abayomi, whose buildings are located side by side, will put on their pumping machines and syphon the products into jerry cans and tanker trucks.
“ We got calls from a resident in the area who alerted us about the activities of Mrs. Victoria and Mr. Abayomi who are residents of Surprise Avenue, and alleged that residents have been siphoning petroleum products from NNPC pipeline located close to their area.
“ The source told us that these people have Wells, which has underground pipes connected to the NNPC pipeline within area. The source told us that whenever the NNPC is transporting it products along that pipeline, their products usually surge into those wells and they are swiftly pumped into tanker trucks by owners of the Wells.
“ The source told us that the big trucks normally come by night to carry the products. When we acted on the information, we stormed the buildings and found the wells with pipes and pumps in it and the stench of fuel was every. At Mrs. Victoria’s apartment we found jerrycans filled with petroleum products, but Mr. Abayomi smartly dismantled the pipes and pumping machine in his own well before we arrived in his own compound.
“But we are currently working on tracing and apprehending people who have been buying these stolen products from them.” a police source said.
The suspects however, denied involvement in pipeline vandalism. They said they only scooped petroleum products from the ruptured NNPC pipeline located close to their houses.
They added that the petroleum products flow into their wells and they sell them to people in their neighborhood.
In defense, Ogunsomi said: “I am from Okitupupa area of Ondo State. I have three children but I am a widow. My late husband bought the land where we built our house in 1984 and we dug that well in the year 1999. We were using to water, but we later discovered that there was petrol in it.
“We contacted and alerted our landlord Association about it and we all agreed that we will go to the police station and the Local Government but hey advised us to go to NNPC and the NNPC sent two delegates to know what was happening.
“ The delegates came and took sample of the water. After that they didn’t come again. I have been arrested before because I sold just three jerrycans of this petrol to someone by SARS operatives in 2016, the police released me and warned me never to go close to the well again. I am sorry that I went back to it again and I was arrested.” She lamented. ”
