- This was disclosed by the spokesperson for the Airport Command of the Nigeria Police Force
Four suspects arrested for stealing aviation fuel from a tank at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, have allegedly offered a bribe of N500,000 to stop their prosecution, police say.
The suspects were apprehended by the Airport Police Division while transporting 50 jerry cans of Jet A1 fuel in a Honda saloon car. However, the police officers rejected the bribe.
This was disclosed by the spokesperson for the Airport Command of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Daramola Kazeem, in a statement on Saturday. He commended the officers for their integrity.
The statement read, “The Divisional Police Officer of the Airport Division, SP Umar Sani, and his team arrested Murtala Abdullahi, aged 46, with a Honda saloon car (registration number LAGOS GGE 680 EL) containing 50 jerry cans of Jet A1 aviation fuel.”
The arrest was made during a routine patrol at the airport’s landside around 3:00 am on 6 November 2024.
The suspects reportedly confessed to siphoning the fuel from an Aerotan Hangar tank at the airport. Their confession led to the arrest of three accomplices, Abdulahi Jibril (26), Kabiru Hassan (25), and Habibu Abdulrahaman (42), in various locations across Abuja.
The Commissioner of Police at the Airport Command, CP Aminu Baba Raji, praised the officers for refusing the bribe, emphasising that their actions reflect the zero-tolerance stance on corruption championed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
The seized fuel, valued at around N2 million, has been impounded, and the suspects are expected to be arraigned in court soon.
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