What Police Is Paying Me Is Too Small; That Is Why I Become A Criminal

Former police informant, Ismaila Adetoro, who was arrested by the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, says he took to the crime because the money the police used to pay him as their informant was too small, to feed and take care of his family.

“I was a pipeline vandal few years back, but when I discovered the danger, I decided to stop. I volunteered to become a police informant on pipeline vandalism in Sagamu. In return, I was given stipends. But the truth is that:

"I am a family man with so many responsibilities, and what they were giving me did not help at all. The money was too small and I felt cheated. This was why I decided to go back to pipeline vandalism. 

“I called one of the vandals and asked him to include me in his next deal. Unfortunately, it was that time the police arrested us.”

According to Punch, Adetoro was arrested along 3 others, Oyedeji Salim, Tobi Olalekan, and Rauf Odeniyi in Sagamu, Ogun State.

Another suspect, Salim, who claimed to be a conductor, said he was asleep inside his vehicle but woke up to find himself in a bush.

“I am a motor boy and normally at the end of each trip, I will sleep inside the truck. On that day, they never told me that we were going on any trip. I just woke up and discovered that we were in a bush somewhere in Sagamu. I helped them to load the truck because I had no choice but to help my boss,” he said.

The man in charge of the task force, Mr Friday Ibadin, said on June 27, there were reports that the suspects, who had been regular visitors to the spot, were siphoning petroleum products from NNPC pipeline.

He said policemen led by sector commander, DSP Onaghise Osayande, were sent to the scene and the team arrested the suspects as they were about to leave the spot after loading their truck with 33,000 litters of fuel.

He said, “Ismailia (Adetoro), popularly known as commissioner, has been on our wanted list. Investigation revealed that despite the fact the he was helping the police to track down vandals, he was also actively involved in pipeline vandalism. 

The fight against pipeline vandalism is a collective responsibility and we should help law enforcers to protect our natural resources.”