Panic In Bayelsa As Man Attempts To Set Petrol Station, Church On Fire

There was pandemonium on Thursday
in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital,
following a failed attempt by a 45-
year-old man to set the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC)'s mega filling station and the
provincial headquarters of the
Redeemed Christian of Church God in
the stat ablaze.
The man, who was suspected to be
deranged and identified as indigene of
Emede town in Isoko area of Delta state,
police discovered, was also in possession
of pictures of prominent indigenes of the
state, some kilograms of Canabis and
powder substance identified as cocaine
during a search carried out at a public
bus-stop used as home by the man.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the deranged
man popularly known along the Sani
Abacha Expressway as "Professor" on
Tuesday set fire to the tire of one of the
NNPC Oil tankers that supplied
petroleum product to the mega filling
station.
According to an eyewitness account, the
deranged man at about 11am, gathered
plastics and cartons to make fire and
push it under the oil tanker loaded with
33,000 litres of petroleum products.
"Six fuel tankers were lined up, waiting
to discharge products at the mega filling
station. Before we knew it, we saw thick
smoke and fire engulfing the tire of the
oil tanker."
LEADERSHIP gathered that commuters,
drivers, roadside hawkers, station
attendants and members of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God took
to their heels in fear of a possible oil
tanker explosion.
But some bold passers-by and drivers
launched a rescue to put out the fire
that had engulfed some part of the fuel
tanker.
It was gathered that after setting the
fire, the deranged man took to his heel
and boarded a tricycle popularly known
as Keke NAPEP, but was chased and
caught by a concerned citizen.
Attempts by the angry crowd to set him
ablaze was stopped by the quick arrival
of the men of the Special police patrol
team known as Door Akpor.
When contacted, the spokesman of the
Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr. Alex
Akhigbe, confirmed the arrest of the
culprit, saying investigation was
ongoing."