Six suspects have been arrested over the stealing of 30km length of pipe on the Warri-Kaduna pipeline at Ekperi in Edo State.
The chairman of the Edo State Task Force on Recovery of Government Property, Eugene Okolosie, disclosed this on Wednesday in Benin while highlighting some achievements of the task force.
Okolosie said the theft has caused major damage on the pipeline, noting the suspected vandals may have colluded with members of the community to carry out the theft.
He also disclosed that the suspects used excavators to dig out the pipes meant to convey crude oil from Warri to the Kaduna refinery, adding that some of the pipes have been recovered from the syndicate.
Also, the task force chairman said that five suspects who vandalised government agricultural tractors and other heavy equipment for sale have been arrested at Uhuoghun in Orhionmwon Local Government Area.
He also disclosed that five other suspects have also been arrested at Okpella for stealing high tension electricity equipment.
Okolosie decried the high rate of encroachment on and stealing of government lands, including reserved areas in all parts of the state. He added that the task force has recovered 480 hectares of government land sold illegally by some community members.
“I can confirm to you that six suspects have been arrested over the stealing of 30km length of pipe on the Warri-Kaduna pipeline at Ekperi.
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“In Sobe, the people sold the melina and tick trees planted by the government in the reserved forest area. They destroyed the forest and started cultivating plantains on it. This has been going on for the past eight years”, Okolosie said, noting that most of the lands being sold illegally by community youth, leaders and others in various communities, were government reserved lands.
The task force chairman expressed worry over the rate lands meant for development were being sold in the state. He made reference to the Ewomama Community, where the civic centre, generator, market and the secondary school land were sold. He, however, said the government has recovered the lands sold illegally.
He said illegal land grabbers have particularly descended on school lands across the state, adding that there’s hardly any school that has not been invaded, citing Uromi where a private school is built inside a public school.
Disclosing that the task force has to a large extent recovered lands belonging to schools in the State, Okolosie said “Anybody that attacks education is attacking the future of his community”.
He commended the state government for assisting the task force to achieve the much it has achieved and warned members of the public to beware of impersonators who would claim to be members of the task force and demand money from them.