About five people were feared dead Friday night during a violent clash between suspected pipeline vandals and security operatives at Arepo, in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Sources say the suspected vandals and armed guards monitoring the area both suffered casualties.
It was learnt that the suspected vandals had threatened to set the pipeline ablaze, following a disagreement between the two sides.
The ones who had escaped unhurt, reportedly regrouped and attempted to evacuate the corpses of their slain colleagues, threatening not to allow anyone to enter or leave the area until they have recovered the bodies.
The vandals were also reported to have violently resisted attempts by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other villagers to conduct a rescue operation in the area.
A source, who spoke to The Guardian, said he could not ascertain the number of persons killed, but that he counted five bodies in the river.
Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Ogun Command, Mr. Kareem Olanrewaju, confirmed the incident but denied there were casualties.
He said the inferno, which was first noticed Friday night might have been caused by the suspected vandals, adding that the surveillance team of the corps had earlier reported suspicious movement around the Arepo waterways.
He said that when the fire outbreak occurred, a team was instructed to move in for possible arrests but that no arrests were made, as the vandals fled.
Sunday 13 January 2013
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110322:five-feared-dead-as-pipeline-vandals-security-men-clash-in-arepo&catid=1:national&Itemid=559
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