By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Edo State security agencies have arrested six suspects linked to the theft of a 30-kilometre stretch of the Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline at Ekperi in Edo. The vandals, suspected to have worked with local community members, used excavators to dig out the pipeline meant for transporting crude oil from Warri to the Kaduna refinery.
Chairman of the Edo State Task Force on Recovery of Government Property, Eugene Okolosie, disclosed this in Benin City. He said some of the stolen pipes have been recovered from the syndicate.
Okolosie added that five suspects were also arrested for vandalizing government-owned tractors and heavy equipment at Uhuoghun in Orhionmwon Local Government, while another five were caught at Okpella for stealing high tension electrical equipment.
“I can confirm to you that six suspects have been arrested over the stealing of 30km length of pipe on the Warri-Kaduna pipeline at Ekperi,” Okolosie said.
He expressed worry over the rising trend of illegal land sales in the state, saying the task force had recovered about 480 hectares of land that community members had unlawfully sold with the connivance of local leaders and youths.
He lamented the destruction of government forests in Sobe, where residents have been illegally farming on reserved forest lands for the past eight years, including planting plantains.
The chairman further warned that lands reserved for educational institutions and public facilities were under threat of illegal sales. He cited Ewomama Community, where lands for civic centres, markets, and schools had been sold, though some have been recovered.
Okolosie revealed that many school lands in Edo were being encroached on and sold, mentioning Uromi, where a private school was built inside a public school compound. He described it as an attack on the future of education.
He cautioned citizens against impostors posing as task force members to extort money, stressing that the government remained committed to reclaiming public assets and protecting the environment.
Okolosie commended the Edo State government for supporting the fight against vandalism, land grabbing, and encroachment, noting that the efforts were vital for the state’s growth and prosperity.