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Mrs Ramota Olaniyan, a widow, has been anguishing over recent development in her community, Isheri-Idimu, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
For her, life has become a nightmare. She is distraught, disillusioned and distressed.
Ramota is living in fear but the mother of four is not alone. Indeed, for residents of the area, these are certainly not the best of times. They are living in fear following the uncovering of a spot where oil thieves siphoned fuel from pipeline.
Although the Lagos State police operatives have cordoned off the spot and currently keeping an eye on it, waiting for officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the residents still nurse fear of the unknown.
The fears persist considering that the illegal bunkering spot is behind Idimu Police Station. And it was gathered that the Idimu Police Station did not respond to distress calls, prompting the residents to alert the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
Again, while the oil stealing was going on, the whole area was plunged into darkness as the public power supply was switched off, which the residents said was unusual.
A resident said: “What we cannot understand is why Idimu Police Station should not respond to distress calls from the residents. Maybe they are working with the illegal oil bunkerers. Otherwise, why should they ignore us? Even for the illegal bunkering spot to be located behind the police station is not ordinary. Something must have emboldened them. We are afraid of the consequences of the illegal bunkering.”
From the spot on Pipeline Road/Segun Irefin Road junction, near the Jonathan Estate, Isheri-Idimu, oil thieves steal fuel in the dead of the night.
The other night, it was gathered, the oil thieves operated around 1am and succeeded in filling three fuel tankers before residents alerted the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), whose operatives stormed the spot.
It was gathered that when the RRS team arrived, the oil thieves, numbering more than 60, scampered and abandoned one 11, 000 fuel tanker, which was yet to be filled. Some arrests were reportedly made.
Sources revealed that some days ago, the illegal bunkerers operated from the same spot, which had put residents of the area on the watch.
In the illegal operation, the oil thieves allegedly loaded three 33,000 litres tankers in the dead of the night successfully.
The curious thing about the illegal bunkering activities is that it take place on a road, not in a hidden spot inside the bush.
The spot is in front of an array of shops, which are usually closed for business before 10pm.
Residents said that the activities of the illegal bunkerers must have gone unnoticed for long because they usually operate in the night when residents have gone to sleep and the place deserted.
The residents are calling on official of NNPCL to come and seal the compromised pipeline to avoid fire outbreak.
Also, they are calling on the authorities to fix the Pipeline Road and the adjoining ones to make it impossible for illegal bunkers to tamper with pipeline.
“We are appealingly to government to help you chase away the oil thieves from the spot. We are living in fear. We don’t know what will happen next. We don’t want to be victims of fire disaster,” Ramota pleaded.
