BENIN CITY, 30 July 2025 — The Edo State Task Force on Recovery of Government Property has arrested six individuals in connection with the theft of a 30km stretch of the Warri-Kaduna pipeline at Ekperi in Etsako Central Local Government Area.
Task Force Chairman Eugene Okolosie disclosed the development during a briefing in Benin City on Wednesday. He stated that the suspects used excavators to dig up the underground pipes, which were originally installed to transport crude oil from Warri to the Kaduna refinery.
According to Okolosie, the operation caused significant damage to the pipeline, and preliminary findings suggest that the arrested individuals may have worked with members of the local community to carry out the theft. Some of the stolen materials have already been recovered.
In a separate operation, five suspects were arrested at Uhuoghun in Orhionmwon Local Government Area for vandalising government-owned agricultural tractors and other heavy machinery. Another five were apprehended in Okpella for stealing high-tension electricity equipment.
Okolosie also raised concern over widespread illegal sales and encroachments on government land, particularly reserved areas. He said the task force had so far recovered 480 hectares of government land that had been sold off by local actors without authorisation.
“In Sobe, the people sold the melina and tick trees planted by the government in the reserved forest area. They destroyed the forest and started cultivating plantains on it. This has been going on for the past eight years,” Okolosie said.
He highlighted cases such as Ewomama Community, where public facilities, including the civic centre, generator, market and school land were illegally sold. The government has since reclaimed those properties.
According to Okolosie, illegal land sales have also targeted school lands. “There’s hardly any school that has not been invaded,” he noted, citing the example of Uromi where a private school was reportedly constructed within the premises of a public institution.
“Anybody that attacks education is attacking the future of his community,” he said, adding that the task force has made considerable progress in recovering school lands across the state.
Okolosie thanked the Edo State Government for supporting the task force and warned the public against impersonators claiming to be officials, stressing that legitimate members of the team do not request money.
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