No fewer than six suspects have been arrested by the police in connection with the killing of three staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation in Ogun State.
The suspects, alleged to have killed the NNPC staff who went to repair a pipeline damaged by vandals in Arepo, Ogun State, were arrested by officers and men of the Inspector-General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit, Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos.
One of the arrested suspects, Imerepamu Ijebu Joel, has been said to have confessed to the crime.
The Officer-in-Charge of the unit, Friday Ibadin, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said a team of policemen, led by the Lagos Sector Commander, Onaghise Osayande, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, stormed the Arepo NNPC pipeline where some vandals were caught at the verge of syphoning petroleum products from the pipeline they broke.
During the operation that led to the arrest of the six suspects, over 200 gallons of 25 litres (jerry cans) filled with product suspected to be petrol and several empty gallons were recovered.
Ibadin said: “In the course of investigation, they revealed that they knew what happened to the NNPC officials last month.
“One of them, Imerepamu Ijebu Joel, said he knew the area where the dead NNPC officials were buried.”
Ijebu, however, said he was not a part of the team that killed the NNPC officials.
Rather, he said one Showebune told him the slain NNPC staff were buried in a land across the creeks at Arepo.
Ijebu said: “I don’t know the exact spot where the NNPC officials were buried but my friend Showebune told me that they killed the NNPC officials and buried them in a land across the river.
“I know the land where they were buried but I don’t know the exact spot.
“Shortly after the incident, my landlord told me to be careful that my Ijaw brothers have caused trouble in the area by killing the NNPC officials who came for maintenance.
“He confirmed that the NNPC staff were killed by Tokuwa, Egbe, Egbekowhea, John Togo and Bashiru who buys petroleum products from vandals.
“I know their houses and I can take the police there if they are willing.”