The Bayelsa State coordinator of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mr. Bello Bina, has revealed that efforts to arrest three tankers suspected of moving adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), was almost frustrated by some police personnel in Bayelsa State.
It was gathered that the loaded trucks were apprehended along the Sagbama axis of the East-West road, from a yet-to-be-identified destination.
According to Bello, who made the details of the arrest known on Saturday, some unidentified policemen after the arrest of the truck tried to frustrate the effort of the task force by insisting that the product suspected to be adulterated PMS is owned by a highly influential personality.
He said “When the effort of the policemen failed, an unidentified male called me on the phone and pleaded with me to take some financial gratification to set the tankers free but I turned down the offer, promising to get to the bottom of the matter”
He assured that he would not compromise the mandate by President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that issues of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and other criminal activities associated with the oil and gas sector are curbed in the Niger Delta.
In his words “As I speak with you some uniform Police officers at the Sagbama junction were trying to stop the arrest of the tankers conveying the adulterated petrol products”
“According to them a prominent businessman with wide experience in the oil and gas sector is the owner of the tankers and that they are not willing to let us impound the tankers.”
