The Fuel tankers destroyed by the suicide attackers yesterday. NSCDC says they were diverted

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said the three oil trucks destroyed by suicide bombers in Maiduguri on Friday diverted petrol to illegal destination.

The Borno Command of the corps said that the trucks carried the product meant for Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega stations but were diverted to a private home.

Commandant of the corps in the state, Abdullahi Ibrahim, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Maiduguri.

Ibrahim said that the agency’s anti-vandalism team discovered that the trucks hidden in a private home on Damboa Road in Maiduguri.

He said that the explosion would have been avoided if the product was taken to its destination by the oil marketers.

“It was unfortunate that some individuals were hell bent in diverting petroleum products to create artificial scarcity in the town.

“Those tankers destroyed by three female suicide bombers were meant to be in filling stations to meet local demands of motorists.

” We have been warning them against diversion but they won’t listen. Just last week, we arrested four persons and sealed their filling stations for selling the petrol above pump price.

“We learnt that there is a deliberate plan to create artificial scarcity in the town by hiding the product to make it scarce.

“This development is not only anti-people but also a threat to the lives and security of the good people of the state.

” We therefore warn petroleum marketers to desist from hiding and diverting petrol in their homes or face the wrath of the law,” Ibrahim said. (NAN)