Assistant Commissioner of Police Lot Lantoh Garba, head of the Special Task Force on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering appointed by Inspector-General Usman Baba, faces allegations of corruption, including collecting bribes from oil thieves to facilitate stolen crude transport. The accusations appear in a petition by a concerned Nigerian, addressed to the IGP, the President’s Chief of Staff, the Attorney-General, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, and other stakeholders.
The petitioner claims Garba has abused his position for personal gain, undermining national interests. He allegedly held meetings with illegal bunkers, assuring them of protection in exchange for payments. Specifically, Garba is accused of demanding N250,000 per truck for Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and N370,000 for black oil, with 30 out of 300 daily trucks allocated to him, plus fees from other operators. Additional millions are reportedly charged for vessels and tankers at sea. “There is no one litre of oil stolen… that ACP Garba is not aware of and not paid hugely for,” the petition states.
Garba allegedly boasted of influence from the IGP’s son and pledged N10 billion to Alh. Abubakar Atiku’s campaign, driving his desperation for funds. He is further accused of illegally posting officers—collecting N750,000 each from inspectors and assistant superintendents—usurping the Police Service Commission’s role to bolster his network.
Bank accounts linked to his associates for bribe collection include:
– 1414824000 (Mohammed Ndayeruwa, Inspector of Police, Access Bank)
– 0565861824 (Danjuma Rifkatu Banji, ASP, GTBank)
– 0076259255 (Holly Kauna, used by DSP Alpha Mahamu, Access Bank)
The petitioner describes Garba as a “super curse” and “disgrace to the force,” compromising the Nigeria Police Force’s integrity and economy. No response from authorities is mentioned in the petition.
