A 15-year-old boy, who was arrested alongside four others by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, Thursday, revealed that he was pestered by his father until he joined the illegal act of pipeline vandalism.
The suspect, Sani Musa and others were arrested with 200 kegs filled with diesel stolen from the pipeline, which is owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, along Shagamu/Ibadan expressway.
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the task force, Friday Ibadin, their arrest followed a tip-off that some vandals were leaving the NNPC pipeline in Shagamu.
Policemen, led by the Sector Commander, Onaghaise Osayande, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, intercepted them.
Ibadin pointed out that crime fighting is a collective responsibility and urged Nigerians to assist security staff to handle the cases of vandalism.
‘I left school’
The boy confessed that life had become unbearable for his family and his father kept saying that Sani should start fending for himself.
Because of such a hard situation the teenager had to leave school at the age of 14, when he was in primary four. His father sent Sani to one of their relations in Lagos for him to show Sani how to become a man of his own.
Thus, when the boy arrived, he joined his relative in his transportation business as a conductor. His relative said the teenager's duties also included standing by the road side to look out for policemen and alert them.
“At the end of each successful operation, we would carry the product and deliver it at Mile 12 where we have tanks.
“He pays me N2,000 per trip, which is a lot of money to me. I am terribly sorry because I did not know it was a crime.
The teenager said he only wanted to help his family and return to school some day...
“I have been sending almost every proceed to my family with the hope that one day I will return to school.”
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