According to some of the residents, after dispossessing them of their gallons of fuel, the policemen would resell and pocket the money.
They described the policemen as ‘terrorists,’ insisting that they were tired of police constant harassment. Asked if they were aware selling fuel in gallons was illegal, one of them spat: “If it’s illegal, why do the policemen resell it?”
They further said that the policemen used to be in uniform, armed with AK47 rifles.
They said the policemen used to come at night. The residents alleged that the policemen used to come from Area E Police Command, Festac, Agboju Police Station and CBN Police Station. One Pastor Odiri, who sells fuel in gallons with his wife, alleged that the policemen used to collect their gallons of fuel at gunpoint. Odiri further said: “There was a particular day four policemen came to our shop around 11pm. They came in their patrol van. They asked for five litres of petrol, I gave them. I couldn’t argue with them because of the gun they pointed at me.
Two weeks later, they came again and collected four litres of petrol from my wife.” Odiri said that selling fuel in gallons was one of the means he and his wife used in taking care of kids.
He added: “I’ve been out of job now for over 20 years. I have been managing with my wife. Since my wife travelled to Benue State, I started coming to the shop during evening time, to assist my daughter.
Since then, I have seen and witnessed a lot of harassments from the police.” Odiri said that because of the police disturbance, he asked his wife to begin thinking about changing business line. Odiri said that he and many people in the area were not aware that selling fuel in gallons was illegal. His words: “We are not aware that selling fuel in gallons is illegal. If the police are claiming that the Inspector General of Police gave the order, then they should have made it public. In the whole nation, everybody is involved in black market. Even in Abuja. In a situation where you don’t have power supply, how do you get power supply for yourself ?” He added that everyone knew that without availability of fuel at the black market, so many things wouldn’t work in the country.
He said: “If police want to start arresting people selling black market, fuel how many people would they arrest?” He said that it was better to sell black market fuel, than to become a pipeline vandal. According to him, he hadn’t committed any crime in buying fuel from filling station, to resell in gallons. One of the residents, Nkem, who also sells fuel in gallons, said: “These policemen usually come in the night. They come between hours of 8pm to 9pm.
They would collect the fuel to resell to another people. Whenever we sighted them coming in their patrol van, we run with our gallons of fuel. They are always in their uniforms, armed with AK47 rifles.
They would tell us, ‘you are under arrest because you are selling black market.’ They said selling black market fuel was not allowed in this Nigeria.” Nkem further narrated: “I have been living in this community for 15 years now. My wife buys petrol from a filling station at N160 per litre for 60 or 90 litres and pays additional N500 for buying in gallons. We resell at N200 per litre. We don’t have power supply here and people must iron their clothes and do other things. We sell gallons of fuel to dry cleaners, hairstylists and people that sell frozen foods.
“There was a day my wife went to Apapa to buy petrol, along with three other women who also deal in the same business. My wife bought three gallons, filled with petrol and so did the three women. Policemen at Alakija almost confiscated all the gallons filled with petroleum from the four women. They however relented and collected N1, 500 from each of the women.
If my wife and other women hadn’t sufficient money on them, they would not have retrieved their gallons of petroleum. “The other night, policemen collected 30 litres each from different people. They had been raiding this community since the fuel crisis started. Sometimes, they would threaten women. Police is meant to protect lives of citizens; if they are now meant to threaten people’s lives, then there’s no hope for Nigerians anymore.”
Mr. Boniface, also a resident of Ijegun Egba, said that the police had been terrorizing the community for a long time. His words: “Why should police be focusing on people who are struggling to make ends meet? The government has created a bad economy for us. The police earn salary at the end of the month, but these fuel sellers are struggling to take care of their families.”
New Telegraph paid a visit to Satellite Town Police Post, where a police source there said: “We only provide security for the community and attend to their needs. Any case higher than that, we refer to Amuwo Odofin Police Station. We don’t have any vehicle attached to us.” At the Amuwo Odofin Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), also denied that the men came from his station. He however added: “Selling of fuel in gallons is illegal.
The Inspector- General-of-police has said that the police should impound fuel in gallons. Buying and keeping of gallons of fuel in the house has led to many tragedies. Many buildings had caught fire and burnt to the ground. Why must people buy fuel to keep and resell?”http://newtelegraphonline.com/policemen-steal-our-fuel-at-gunpoint-pastor/
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