Dealers of Lagos illegal oil wells sold diesel for N100 per litre

The Lagos state police command made a startling discovery last week, of some wells in Abeokuta and Ibadan streets in Ilasamaja, Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos where diesel, instead of water was drawn out and sold at ridiculously low price. While the various fuel stations were selling the product at between N180.00 and N200.00 per litre, it was being sold in this area at N100.00 per litre. It was suspected that there were underground pipes that connected the wells to the pipes of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC from where the petroleum product was being siphoned.

It was gathered that some touts were hired who acted as spies and were positioned in strategic locations to be on the look out for law enforcement agents. These spies were paid daily and their assignment was to notify or alert the dealers of the presence of security operatives. Saturday Vanguard learnt that some uniformed men were also on the pay roll of the operators and their job was to protect the business.

It could not be ascertained when the illegal business actually started but sources said it has been in existence for decades. Some of the dealers who were mostly property owners were said to have given their tenants quit notices while others were said to have co-opted their into tenants in the illicit business.