From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Petrol Task Force personnel attached to the Bayelsa State Command of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have apprehended three tankers suspected to be transporting adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from an unidentified destination into Bayelsa along the Sagbama axis of the East-West road.
IPMAN Bayelsa State Coordinator Mr Bello Bina, who confirmed the development on Saturday, alleged that unidentified policemen had attempted to frustrate the effort of the task force by insisting that the adulterated products are owned by a highly influential businessman.
According to him, when the effort of the policemen failed, an unidentified individual called him on the phone to plead with him to take a bribe to release the tankers.
Bina disclosed that he turned down the offer, promising to get to the bottom of the matter.
He assured that being charged with the mandate by 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, the effort of his task force to apprehend the tankers would not be compromised.
‘As I speak with you, some uniformed 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 the tankers,’ Bina stated.