A man has been arrested by police officials for allegedly siphoning diesel from a truck belonging to a beverage company located at Ikpoba Hill, in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
The man whose identity was not disclosed was caught by a vigilante guard in the area at about 4am on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 who noticed some diesel on the ground around the parked truck.
The guard reportedly traced the diesel to the truck where he found the suspect siphoning diesel into some jerry cans.
The suspect who attempted to flee the scene was apprehended by some residents following an alarm by the guard.
The suspect narrowly escaped lynching by some angry residents following a timely intervention of the police from Aduwawa division.
An eyewitness said the suspect confessed that he was a member of a gang that specializes in stealing petroleum products from packed vehicles in the area.
He said, “There are other people in the same business with me and they have stolen more than 1,000 litres before.
According to Daily Post the residents and the truck driver identified as Mr Imafidon tied up the suspect while putting a hose in his mouth after he described how he siphoned the product.
The state police spokesperson, DSP Stephen Onwochei, said that the case could have been handled by the Divisional Police Officer.
He said, “I have not been briefed on that. But, obviously, it is a case of stealing which the division can handle.”
