The operatives of the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested a Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) truck driver, Afeez Adegbola, for allegedly diverting 10,000 litres of petrol belonging to the company.
The State Commandant of the NSCDC, Igbalawole Sotiyo, disclosed this while parading the suspect and his two motor boys in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Saturday, November 2, 2024.
Sotiyo said the suspects were arrested with the NNPCL truck at about 8:21 p.m. on Friday.
The NSCDC commandant revealed that the NNPCL truck driver loaded 40,000 litres of petrol at Pinnacle Distribution Depot in Eleko, Lagos State.
He said the waybill indicated that the product was meant to be delivered at the NNPCL mega station in Osogbo.
Sotiyo said following a tip-off, the Osun NSCDC officers trailed the truck with registration number AGG 959 XA and discovered that only 30,000 litres of fuel were delivered at the NNPCL filling station.
He said the NNPCL truck driver was arrested while discharging the remaining 10,000 litres at TEMPOLA filling station at Ikirun in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State.
The corps commandant said the suspects had made a confessional statement that the 40,000 litres were meant for the NNPCL mega station in Osogbo, but was directed by his company to deliver only 30,000, while the remaining 10,000 should be taken to a private filling station in Ikirun.
Sotiyo described the act as an economic sabotage and stealing.
Sotiyo said: “It is an act of sabotage and stealing against the state. They are saboteurs and anti-state.
“NSCDC is using this medium to warn all the stakeholders involved in the distribution of petroleum products nationwide that anyone caught sabotaging the government would be apprehended and prosecuted.
“NSCDC uses this medium to request NNPCL Managers/Supervisors nationwide to work with the NSCDC to ensure saboteurs are brought to justice.
“I want to inform the good people of Osun State that, there is a new Sheriff in town.
“It is no more business as usual. Therefore, all criminally minded people in the state must have a change of heart or be ready to face the consequences of their actions.
“I assure you that at the expiration of our investigations, the suspects will be charged to a court.”
