Soldier, Policeman and 38 others paraded for tanker hijacking, robbery on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway



38 suspects alongside a serving soldier and a police inspector were paraded by the Oyo State Police Command on Wednesday for allegedly hijacking fuel-laden trucks on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 38 other suspects were also paraded for offences ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping and stealing to cultism.

Addressing newsmen at the police headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, Mr Abiodun Odude, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, said the suspected hijackers often wore camouflage and police uniforms to carry out their operations.

“The alleged hijackers of fuel-laden trucks usually wore military camouflage and police uniform in their operations.

“They were nabbed by the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad of Oyo State during one of their operations on April 15 at about 8.am after they waylaid a fuel-laden DAF tanker with registration number APC 937 XB on a bad portion at Shasha, near Ojoo, on Ibadan-Oyo Road.

“The suspected policeman would be recommended for dismissal from the Nigeria Police for professional misconduct,’’ he said.

Odude said both the soldier and the policeman confessed that they actually participated in the crime.

In another incident, a suspect allegedly conspired with others to abduct his own father.

Odude said that the kidnapping of the suspect’s father took place at Igboora in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area on May 17 at about 6pm.

“ The suspect said he got a share of less than N1 million in the ransom collected although he confessed that his father never offended him,’’ he said.

He said that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was completed.

Similarly, six suspects said to be involved in the kidnapping of popular Ibadan-based oil magnate and Chief Executive Officer of Bovas Oil and Gas Limited were also paraded.

Items recovered from the suspects included firearms, nine vehicles, one motorcycle, N1.2 million, musical instruments, knife and phones.