4 in Police net for hijacking petrol tankers in Lagos

LAGOS — Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, at the Lagos State Police Command, have smashed a five-man gang of robbers who specialised in hijacking tanker trucks with petroleum products.

The suspects, who were identified as Alex Ugboagu, Evans Boniface, Patrick Okoh, Izuchukwu Udeagwu, and Emmanuel Aniekan, were apprehend when SARS operatives, led by SP Abba Kyari, got an intelligence report on their activities.



A source, who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “The gang was behind the hijacking of a truck conveying 33,000 litres of PMS at Anthony Village area of Lagos at gunpoint and diverting same to a filling station in Ikorodu, where the product was sold for N1.5 million.” The market value is N3.2 million.

Our source added that the gang went for their second operation in March 2014. They snatched a tanker carrying PMS along Apapa Road with their operational Hilux van, a Ford Ranger Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV and three AK-47 rifles. They sold the product to a filling station in Ajah also for N1.5 million.

According to the source,“their third operation was at Iyana-Oworo. The truck contained diesel and it was hijacked at Toyota bus stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expresssway on July 18, 2014.

“We got information that they had hijacked the product being taken to Ikorodu with the intention to sell it to another filling station in the same Ikorodu.

“However, the robbers stopped at Ketu Mile 12 area, when they suspected that we were on their trail, escaped and abandoned the truck.

“Their fourth operation which was on July 21 at Iyana Isashi area gave them out finally. They successfully hijacked a truck containing petrol and while on their way to Sango Otta to dispose it, we got information, trailed and apprehended two members of the gang.”

Method of operation
On how the gang coordinated their operations, a member, Alex Ugboagu, told Vanguard that they would pose as task force men on patrol and would double cross any truck they intend to hijack.

He said: “With the help of a fake soldier and navy officer among us and the Hilux van, we take over any truck. All we need do is to flag down the truck, arrest the driver and conductor, while two members of our gang will drive the truck to the filling station where the content will be discharged . After selling the content, we will abandon the truck on the expressway.’’

The 35-year-old man, who is a native of Ebonyi State, also confessed that he got N360,000 as his share.

“We sold the product for N1.5 million, which is about half of the normal price of a little above N3 million. I collected N360,000. I used part of my money to pay for my house rent. I used the remaining for the upkeep of my family,” he said.

Another suspect, Evans Boniface, 39-year- old from Nbano in Imo State, said the gang’s operational Hilux, belongs to his company.

” I work as a driver with an engineer. We were working on MTN masts. I drive the engineers. I started working with them since 2012. We were caught on our fifth operation. I drove the Hilux van during our operations. 

“My company used to pay me N48,000 monthly which was increased to N60,000 last February but it was the devil that led me into this.”

How I joined the gang
On how he joined the gang, Boniface said: “I used to go home with the Hilux van at the close of work and I usually drive through Iyana Ipaja to avoid robbery on Badagry expressway. One day I gave a fake soldier a ride and on the way he suggested that we could use the van for robbery.

‘’That was early this year, later I met Alex, and he was the one who brought the idea of truck hijacking,” he said.