Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) attached to the Operation Awatse on Wednesday uncovered a Lagos hotel where fuel is siphoned from the pipeline of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The operatives also arrested eight suspects including a Police Inspector at the premises of Glonik Hotel at 31, Social Club Road, Abule Egba.

Those arrested were Inspector Lukeman Rabiu of the Lagos Police Command X-Squad Unit, receptionist Gladys Daniel, waitress Rachael Oludara, housekeeper, Adegoke Adetunji, tanker driver, Waliu Teller, Oluwaseun Oguntoyin, Victor Vincent, 19 and Bobola Kuti, 28.

Inspector Rabiu allegedly had N1.4 million, a laptop and other valuables in his car

It was gathered that three 33,000-litre tankers were loaded overnight with two left. The third one, with registeration number EPE367XE was said to have  developed technical problems and was abandoned at an improvised loading bay beside the hotel.

According to AWATSE’s Maritime Component Commanding Officer, Commander Chris Akokota, the place was uncovered about 8am.

He said: "At 8am this morning (Wednesday), we got some information from Toplink Security personnel that some criminals perpetrating illegal acts of siphoning PMS products through an NNPC pipeline outside the hotel.

"Upon the information, we quickly deployed our men  and when we got here, we realised that most of the top management staff had escaped through the back gate.

"The junior staff and a policeman, who had stayed here in the past six months, were arrested. We tried to investigate the situation and observed all. When we got here, we noticed the smashed screens and broken bottles. Apparently, there might have been a fight before our arrival.

"We discovered that a fully loaded tanker, which still had the hose on it was parked beside the hotel. It seems the tanker developed fault. We learnt that two others had left and they were waiting for the third one to go so that others can be loaded.

"We also saw about 16 jerry cans filled with PMS with six empty ones and they were all embedded in the vehicles parked in the hotel."