Crude oil thieves engage soldiers in gun battle

chika ebuzor

November 18, 2015 6:17 AM

Armed robbers recently held Festac town to ransom, in a dare-devil bank operation.

Residents of Festac town, in Lagos state, were forced to stay indoors in the early hours of Tuesday, November 18, 2015, as suspected Crude oil thieves engaged security operatives in a gun battle.

According to reports, the security operatives, acting on a tip-off, came to stop the illegal operation, and the suspects opened fire.

A resident who spoke with Guardian Newspapers, said “At first, we thought they were armed robbers, as they were shooting endlessly into the air but later we discovered they were a group of oil bunkers who came heavily armed.’’

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Joseph Offor said “There was no robbery in FESTAC Town this morning, what happened in the community was sporadic shooting by some hoodlums in the creek but the place is calm now. We arrested and paraded some of them last week and impounded a tanker with about 7,500 litres of petroleum products with a hose and pumping machine.

“They are not happy, and I guess that is the reason they woke up this morning to disturb the neighbourhood. In swift reaction, soldiers and policemen were immediately deployed to the scene, but there are no arrest so far."

chika ebuzor