Lagos: LAGESC busts illegal oil bunkering hub, arrests 27 suspects with counterfeit currency

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, LAGESC, popularly known as KAI, has uncovered an emerging oil bunkering operation and arrested 27 suspects allegedly found with counterfeit naira notes during an enforcement exercise.

The Corps Marshal, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd.), disclosed this at the agency’s headquarters in Bolade, Oshodi.

He said the breakthrough followed intelligence reports indicating that an unlicensed depot was operating as a bunkering hub, posing serious risks to public health, safety, and the environment.

According to him, the illegal site not only served as a base for storing and adulterating petroleum products but also provided cover for individuals who transacted at night with fake currency to unsuspecting residents and vendors.

Cole explained that operatives from the agency’s special squad stormed the location, where they discovered makeshift storage facilities, drums, and jerry cans filled with adulterated diesel.

He warned that activities at the depot posed severe dangers, including potential fire outbreaks, soil pollution, and threats to surrounding homes and businesses.

The Corps Marshal added that the agency dismantled the illegal bunkering structures and secured the premises, while 27 suspects found operating within the compound and allegedly using counterfeit naira notes were arrested.

Reiterating the agency’s commitment to curbing environmental violations across Lagos, Cole said routine surveillance and strict enforcement remain central to ensuring a safe and livable environment in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ agenda.

He also urged residents to prioritise the use of pedestrian bridges built across the state to reduce preventable deaths caused by speeding vehicles on major highways.