The Police Command in Edo has arrested eight suspects for attempting to steal $2 billion worth of Federal Government bore-hole pipe equipment.
According to SP Chidi Nwabuzor, command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), the arrest was made in response to a complaint received by the command’s crack team on April 25.
Through a petition, High Chief Richard David, a representative of the Okpella community in the state’s Etsako Central Local Government Area, alerted the police.
He claimed that on July 14, 2021, the suspects appeared before the complainant and his relatives and informed them that they had received approval from the Federal Government, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), to evacuate $2 billion worth of scrap bore-hole pipes equipment.
“The said equipment was meant for the Okpella water project by the Federal Government under the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).
“The community people who were apprehensive wisely disallowed the evacuation of the items.
“This action by the Okpella people however prompted one of the suspects to go to the Okpella police station to report that the community refused them evacuating the items.
“During investigation, the police uncovered the fact of the matter through the confession of one of the suspects, who is a staff of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Abuja.
“The said suspect also agreed to have forged the presidency approval for auctioneer documents for the operation.
“Investigation has been concluded and the suspects would soon be charged to court”, Nwabuzor said.
The PPRO, however, noted that the successful arrest of the suspects was due the operational input of CP Abutu Yaro, the Edo Commissioner for Police who had created operations department annexes to bring police visibility to communities and grassroots.
He appealed to residents of the state to help the command by giving information on suspected criminals and criminal activities by “saying something when they see something”.
Meanwhile, one of the suspects, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, and a Principal Administrative Officer told newsmen that he was the sole originator of the fake document.
According to him, “I am the sole originator of the fake document that was claimed to have originated from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“The plan was a collaborative job between myself and staff of IREK Engineering LTD, a company based here in Benin.
“I personally got the letter from the wrong side as the documents which was addressed to the Edo Governor, the Commissioner of Police in Edo as well as all relevant security agencies were forged.”
He disclosed that the only money he had gotten for his effort in the whole process was N500,000 as a token of appreciation.
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