By Okosun Dennis
The hunter has become the hunted as five staffers of Tantita Security Company, a company owned by Tompolo, entrusted with safeguarding pipeline from vandals, were on Friday handed over to the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja for stealing petroleum product and a boat.
The suspects were arrested on Tuesday, 29th August, 2023 by personnel of Forward Operations Base (FOB), Nigerian Navy at lbeju-Lekki, Nigerian Navy.
The suspects: Owoyele Joseph Omotuyi, Obajimi Oluwaseyifunmi, Balogun Oluwadaisi, Asonja Godday, and Awolowo Aribo were identified as staff of Tantita security company.
Handing over the suspects, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT, Apapa, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, said the five were apprehended in Tolu Community, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos after the locals raised alarm following a sporadic shooting in the community.
According to him, he explained that “We received a distress call from the community that sporadic gunshots were heard. So, men from the Forward Operation Base in Lekki, on getting to the waterfront, met the men dressed in Black Polo T-shirts with Tantita boldly written on the back.
“Exhibits recovered from the suspects included a 300-horsepower boat engine and eleven 1000-litres tanks with petroleum products suspected to be stolen crude oil.
“They were trying to forcefully collect a 300-horsepower outboard engine from a local. Our men apprehended them and retrieved the engine.”
Commodore Oguntuga also revealed that his men later realised that the arrested men were part of a group escorting two wooden boats.
“Our men beckoned on them to come over but they took off, hence our men approached the boats and discovered eleven 1000 litres tanks with petroleum products suspected to be stolen crude oil onboard the wooden boats.
“The handover of the suspects and the exhibits to the Nigeria Police is to enable thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the men in the boat escaping, why they escaped, and the source of the stolen products.
“Besides, this handing over re-enforces the synergy between the security agencies that we would continue to work together and leave no gap for any person or group to have their way to carry out nefarious activities in the state.
“This is to advise the public, especially those in coastal communities, that security agencies will not relent in ensuring the environment is conducive for people to do legitimate business in accordance with the law.”
Responding, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, noted that “The statement has been clearly stated that in Lagos State, the security architecture is built on the strong synergy between the Police, Military, intelligence community, and state security agencies and that is a clear statement to the criminals that as far as Lagos State internal security is concerned, we have a very united force to deal with any individual that might wish to test our common synergy.
“It is also a clear statement on the depth of the increasing trust in the capacity of the Nigeria Police to be professionally guided in investigative activities.
“We would take the suspects and exhibits and work with our colleagues to get to the root of the matter so that a clear statement will be made to the criminals that the state is a no-go area to them.
“I thank Commodore Oguntuga for the confidence and excellent operational breakthrough that has been recorded under his command and I encourage him to sustain it as we would continue to depend on his expertise to attain a common goal.”
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