In a significant breakthrough, the Nigerian Army has disrupted operations at a major fuel distribution station for allegedly supplying their products to Boko Haram in the Gwoza local government area of Borno state.
The fuel stations, Hadiza and Sadiq Filling Station, were shut down after the Nigerian army investigation and discovered that fuel was being funnelled into hundreds of jerrycans meant for Boko Haram insurgents.
A military source, who spoke to newsmen, described the act as betrayal and strengthen the hands of terrorist elements.
The source revealed further that the army had been going after traders involved in selling fuel illegally to terrorist using their altered car tanks.
“These merchants would collaborate with the fuel stations and transfer fuel into jerrycans and secretly move them to jihadist-controlled regions. This particular smuggling attempt was thwarted when our troops arrived and apprehended several suspects.
“During interrogation, the individuals arrested at the filling stations confessed they were heading for the Pulka region and nearby Cameroonian zones, which were strongholds of the Ali Ngulde faction of Boko Haram.
“They maintained that while they didn’t know the final recipients, the fuel was collected by various unidentified individuals”, the military source stated.
Meanwhile, the arrested suspect has been taken into custody and investigations are currently ongoing to apprehend others involved in the criminal act and also discover if there are more filling stations supplying fuel to the terrorists”.
