10 security agents feared killed by vandals in Lagos

Vandals have killed no fewer than 10 security agents in Arepo, Ogun State. Arepo creeks lie between Ogun and Lagos states.

The killings took place at Isawo in Ikorodu through which the pipelines vandals take their stolen petroleum products.

There are various accounts of the killings. The Directorate of State Service (DSS) and the police declined to speak on the matter.

Tuesday’s incident is the latest in the series of killings, police sources said yesterday.

The DSS operatives were brought into the policing of the pipelines, following the withdrawal of soldiers and military men from internal security duties.

Besides, pipelines policing was taken away from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the militant group, which got the contract in the dying days of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

A source who spoke in confidence told The Nation that a joint team of military and civil security agents had been deployed in the creeks to flush out the criminals.

He said the police approached the Navy for help, because gun boats were required to fight the vandals.

The vandals are well armed and battle-ready. They have been laying ambush for security agents who dared to disrupt their “business”.

“So many security personnel have been ambushed and killed in the last two weeks by the criminals, who usually take their bodies into the creeks and bury them in shallow graves.

“The police and NSCDC have not been able to enter the creeks, they fear for their lives because those criminals are well-armed and have informants.

“Most times some of their members disguise as madmen in the dead of the night, only to feed those siphoning fuel with information on movements in and out of the creeks.

“During the day, most of them pose as motorcyclists and informing those in the creeks whenever security agents or unknown faces are heading that way.

“It is possible that was what happened to the security agents on Tuesday because I heard they were ambushed.”

Another account of what happened, according to an Isawo resident, is that the DSS operatives were confronted by the vandals at a primary school in the area where they went for a function.

He said: “The vandals thought they had come to attack them because they came in their outfits. There was confusion. They opened fire on them and killed the officers.”

A police source said the officers were in the community to apprehend the vandals after getting information that they were siphoning petrol from a broken pipeline.

 He said the men were spotted by the vandals who opened fire on them.

“The vandals usually use the Arepo end of Ogun State to siphon fuel. They have a depot where they sell at Isawo, Ikorodu. It was around 7pm that we were told to close our shops because there would be trouble.

“We started hearing gunshots at about 7pm. I observed that the men drove out some fuel tankers. As of 8pm  on Tuesday, all shops had been locked.”

Lagos police spokesman Joseph Offor, said the matter was under investigation.

He said he could not confirm if those killed were DSS operatives, adding that the secret service was yet to inform the police that its men were involved in the attack.

He said: “I have called the DPO in Owutu, Ikorodu, he said there were sporadic shootings between vandals and security agents.

“But he said he could not say if they were DSS personnel and could not also give details on the casualty.

“He told me the incident happened on Tuesday evening, around 5pm. For now, I know the command has taken over and investigations are ongoing.”

At the Lagos office of the DSS in Shangisha, all was gloomy yesterday when our correspondent visited. There were no official comments on the incident.

The spokesman told our reporter on telephone that he was indispossed.

The state director was said to be attending a “crucial” meeting.