Three tankers suspected to be transporting adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) have been impounded by task force of Bayelsa State command of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
Reports say the consignments are in transit from a yet-to-be-identified destination into Bayelsa along the Sagbama axis of the East-West road.
The information was made public today by the Bayelsa State Coordinator of IPMAN, Mr. Bello Bina, who was of the view some unidentified policemen are currently trying to frustrate the effort of the Task Force by insisting that the products suspected to be adulterated PMS are owned by a highly influential personality.
Bina said when the effort of the policemen failed, an unidentified male called him on the phone to plead with him to take some financial gratification to set the tankers free but he turned down the offer, promising to get to the bottom of the matter.
He assured that being charged with the mandate by President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that issues of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and other criminal activities associated with the oil and gas sector are curbed in the Niger Delta, the effort of his Task Force to apprehend the tankers would not be compromised.
Bina said, “As I speak with you, some Police officers at the Sagbama junction are trying to stop the arrest of the tankers conveying the adulterated petrol products.
“According to them, a prominent businessman with wide experience in the oil and gas sector is the owner of the tankers and that they are not willing to let us impound the tankers.”
