Arepo shootout: Police survivors say vandals better armed

Four of the policemen who went missing after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation pipeline exploded in the Arepo area of Ogun State on May 25, 2014 say the vandals outnumbered them.

The survivors, corporals Abu Danmudi, Usman John, Rahimi Morufu and Abdullahi Sabo, added that the vandals were in military camouflage. The policemen, who are attached to the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Pipeline Vandalism, explained that the vandals, who were armed with superior firepower, stormed the area in about 14 speedboats to siphon fuel from the NNPC pipelines.
The cops said they engaged the hoodlums in a fierce shootout and in the process, the pipelines exploded, causing an inferno that lasted for several days.

PUNCH Metro had reported that no fewer than nine policemen were said to be missing after the deadly encounter. The four policemen had escaped immediately after the explosion.

The family of one of the missing cops, Timothy Elogbimien, had expressed anxiety over the fate of the cop and condemned the police’s handling of the missing cops’ rescue.

However, one of the survivors, Abdullahi, said, “At about 9am on May 25, 2015, we heard gun shots from the camp at Elepete, where two of our men were stationed to guard. We immediately mobilised and went to the spot, but the hoodlums were so many and were all heavily armed.

“We never knew that there were so many of them in the bush. We were ambushed as they opened fire on us. It was in the process that the boat that was taking us to the area capsized. I was very lucky to have swum out to safety in the raging fire.”

It was also learnt that one of the canoe paddlers that took the police to the scene, Ibrahim Oguntade, sustained bullet wounds, but escaped.

Another boat paddler, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the scene as a war zone. He wondered where the hoodlums got the sophisticated arms from. He added that he believed that the nine missing policemen were dead.

He said, “There were so many of them dressed in military camouflage and chanting war songs. It was like a war zone, I was lucky because I have experience in swimming inside swampy waters. It is possible that they killed those policemen and went away with their guns,” he said.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Mamman Tsafe, who conducted an assessment of the scene on behalf of the IG, encouraged his men not to be discouraged by the incident.

“The war against pipeline vandalism is for the good of the country. I encourage you to be strong and not relent in your duties because of the outcome of the shootout between vandals and policemen. The police will intensify efforts to find the missing policemen and the perpetrators.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday Ibadin, who is in charge of the task force, briefed the AIG on the efforts on ground to find the missing policemen. He said some of the vandals had been arrested in Ondo and Ogun states, adding that they were assisting the police in their investigations.

He said arms, military uniform, blood-stained clothes and other incriminating items were recovered from the suspects.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure that these gallant officers who are still missing are found and their guns recovered. I sincerely condoled with the families of these men and assure them that we are doing everything possible to find these men and reunite them with their families,” he said.

Source: The Punch