Operatives of the Zone 9 police command, Umuahia, Abia State, have arrested three suspected vandals who looted vital equipment at a palm oil plantation belonging to the Abia state government located at Okon Aku community in Ohafia council area.
Nigeriacrime.com gathered that the palm oil plantation was established in 1961 by the Eastern Region Estate Investment, EREI, during the regime of Dr. Michael Okpara, as the premier of the defunct Eastern region.
Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 9, Umuahia, DSP Bruno Iheanetu, who confirmed the arrest, told Vanguard that the suspects were nabbed by soldiers who handed them over to the police.
He also disclosed that the state government had complained to the police about the continued vandalism of vital equipment at the palm oil estate, despite warnings to the vandals to stay off the plantation.
Luck, however, ran out on the three suspects after they had vandalized an oil processing equipment installed in the plantation.
The arrest of the suspects was said to have followed a tip-off by some hunters to the soldiers on the activities of the vandals.
Military sources also said that the soldiers on patrol swooped on the vandals as they had loaded the vandalized equipment into a waiting lorry.
He said; “It is true that some vandals were arrested at the government palm oil estate by the military and handed over to the Police. They are still under interrogation. I can’t give more details now because some of them have not been apprehended. It was a complaint by the state government through the House of Assembly. The investigation is ongoing,” the PPRO said.