Operatives of the Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism unit have re-arrested a former staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Bashiru Majiyagbe who had been jailed five years for pipeline vandalisation.
Bashiru, who finished serving his sentence few weeks ago, was re-arrested at Odi Ifediwo area of Ogun State, while vandalizing NNPC pipeline. At the police station, Bashiru said he worked as a security man with NNPC before he was arrested. “I was employed by NNPC to guard the pipeline in 2002. My records are there that my line was always protected because I never allowed vandals to get near the area where I was guarding.
They (vandals) have approached me severally with thousands of naira but I refused because I wanted a clean record and hoped that I would be promoted. But along the line, I discovered that NNPC officials are ingrates. They are in their offices wearing tie, while I was left in the bush to protect pipeline and I was given stipends.
We complained severally and were told that the contractor who employed us on behalf of NNPC is the one that should be held responsible. “I decided to help myself survive out there in the bush. Whenever they wanted to operate, I will pretend as if I never knew that they were there unless NNPC officials at the technical room discovered a drop and raised the alarm that vandals were in my area. “It was then that I started enjoying the dividend of the job, because all these while, I had risked my life for nothing.
Those vandals can be deadly, if you do not allow them to work.” On his arrest and conviction Bashiru accused one Dosumu for betraying him by informing NNPC that he was allowing vandals to operate.
“Dosumu was sacked because NNPC suspected him. He came to me and asked to operate in my area and I refused. He decided to leak my secrets to NNPC. In prison, Bashiru met most of the vandals and joined their association.
On his release from prison, Bashiru said: “On May 16, 2012, I was released from prison after five years. Normally anyone that was released would be advised to go underground. This was what I did but I never knew that the police had gotten my number and were tracking my calls through some vandals that were in their net.
Unfortunately, that night I was patrolling the area to alert those in the bush whenever I spot policemen or any security operatives. Two men accosted me and I thought they were marketers and I stopped.
It was when they slapped me that I realized that they were security operatives. I can’t believe that I am heading back to the prisons again. My plans were to raise small money and start my own business.
I am finished. Confirming his arrest, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Friday Ibadin, who is in charge of the task force, said that police got a tip off that vandals were operating in Odi Ifediwo area of Ogun state.
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