By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Detectives from Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan, Lagos, have arrested four tanker drivers and a ‘motor boy’ who allegedly stole tonnes of base oil worth over N2 billion belonging to a lubricant and grease manufacturing company, Climax Oil Lubricant.
The arrested drivers are, Joseph Gambo, Fabian Okafor, Chijoke Anyanha, Tochukwu Obiora and Azeez Saheed.
The drivers were said to have been undersupplying base oil to Climax Oil Lubricant over the years by allegedly manipulating the metres, and attaching small hose to the manhole.
According to police, the management of the company discovered that the accused tanker drivers have been undersupplying base oil to the Oil Firm, and have defrauded the company of over N2 billion between March 2019 and October 2023.
“The management had noticed that since three years of being in oil and gas business, the company had high number of shortages due to undersupply of diesel already paid for.
“The management was informed by an anonymous caller, who disclosed that the tanker drivers supplying base oil to the company have been engaging in nefarious activities, the police said.
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The report made to the Police by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Climax Oil Lubricant, Mr. Emmanuel Iheagwazi, states; “The information I got is that all the drivers are taking up to 1000 liters on each trip. I was told how they do it in three ways. First, they will put the big gasket on the manhole , when they finished loading and they get to where they are selling it , they would lose the manhole completely because the seal is on the top, remove the big gasket and put the small one.”
On how the accused drivers manipulated the meters, the CEO said “The company’s meter is three inches. What they do is that they will put a small hose so that if you’re having three meters, you have to put three meters of manhole. When that one came, they start offloading.
“All the lorries have been manipulated. When I discovered this, I called Ike Timothy, to call them so that we can resolve it but he said they were not guilty.
“I called my marketing manager to climb the lorry to see the manhole. What he saw was an eyesore. The tank is built 11 feet, 11 feet, 11 feet, 11feet so after the first 11 feet, the driver blocked it and put a valve after loading, the valve will close. We got about 300 liters of shortages after the driver offloaded.
“We have made a formal report at the AIG Zone 11 office at Onikan Lagos, so they will follow the police to go and write their statements about what they know.
Already, about five trucks belonging to the drivers have been impounded until the matter is resolved.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Apapa branch, Mr. Jimoh Adeniran, has waded into the matter. He has apologised to management of Climax Oil Lubricant on behalf of the drivers, and has been appealing to the company for amicable settlement.
