ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
A team of petroleum task force attached to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Bayelsa State has apprehended three tankers suspected to be transporting adulterated Premium Motor Spirit from an unidentified destination into the state.
Bayelsa State Coordinator of IPMAN, Mr Bello Bina, who confirmed the development to journalists on Saturday, said the trucks were impounded along the Sagbama section of the East-West road.
He claimed that some unidentified policemen were currently trying to frustrate the effort of the task force by insisting that the suspected adulterated petroleum products are owned by a powerful businessman.
He said when the effort of the policemen failed, an unidentified man called him on the phone to plead with him to take some financial gratifications to set the tankers free.
He, however, said he rejected the offer, promising to get to the bottom of the matter.
He assured the people that he would not betray the mandate of 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.
He promised that the effort of his task force team to apprehend the tankers would not be compromised.
He stated: “As I speak with, you some police officers at the Sagbama junction are 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 them.” Efforts to get the state police command to react to the development proved abortive as calls to its spokesman, Mr Asinim Butswat, failed to connect on several occasions.