President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to stop crude oil thefts and vandalism in the Niger/Delta region and bring all perpetrators of such crimes to justice.
The Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi, who statwd this at the headquarters of the Corps in Abuja, said the nation’s economic mainstay is being pillaged massively by criminal elements.
He said the President has ordered the NSCDC to use all means possible to protect the nation’s critical assets and infrastructure, warning that any personnel of the Corps who undermines the Presidential directive would be severely dealt with.
Audi also revealed that a Panel of Inquiry has been established by the Corps to probe alleged acts of collusion and compromise on the parts of some personnel who were found to have compromised their mandate to arrest oil thieves and vandals, asserting that those found wanting would be sanctioned accordingly.
Addressing States Commandants, zonal Commandants as well Assistant Commandant-Generals, and Deputy Commandant Generals at a strategic Meeting at the headquarters of the Corps in Abuja, Audi said all hands should be on the deck to stop illegal oil bunkering, vandalism and assaults on the country’s critical national assets.
He lamented that Nigeria has been losing so much to crude oil thefts and vandalisation of infrastructures with the attendant negative economic impacts on the country.
According to him about 200 suspects, and 300 trucks containing stolen crude oil have been arrested within a year, while the Corps have destroyed over 50 illegal refineries in the Niger/Delta region.
Audi said:”Let me welcome you all to today’s meeting which is obviously not a day for speeches and rhetorics. I invited you here to register my displeasure and disappointment at the attitude to work by some Heads of Anti-Vandal Units and members of their Squad.
“You are all aware that one of the core mandate of the Corps is the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) for which the Corps remains the Lead Agency.
“To this extent, the Corps is generally expected to effectively safeguard these infrastructure which are very critical to the socio-economic development of the Nation by guarding against oil theft/illegal oil bunkering while providing adequate security to oil pipelines, power and telecommunication facilities among other Critical National Assets.
“The Corps’ Management under my supervision has taken several proactive measures/steps to stem the tide of oil theft and vandalization which includes but not limited to the setting up the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad.
“However, it appears some elements in the system are working to draw the Corps backwards from realizing the expected gains from our efforts to eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum, incidences of oil theft/bunkering, oil pipeline vandalization among others. ”
He said following the order of Mr President, no stone would be left unturned to bring sanity to the oil industry in Nigeria and warned that no citizen, no matter how highly placed would get away with any crime associated with the industry.
He commended the Nigeria Army and other security agencies in the country for their synergy and collaboration with the Corps in terms of training, operations and other supports to end insecurity in the country.
