By Eben Enasco Kingsley, Benin City
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, seems to be winning the war against pipelines vandalism, crude oil theft and illegal bunkers across board as no fewer than two NNPC inscribed tankers , drums of adulterated crude oil and several materials were recovered recently along Benin Auchi express Road during one of its strategic routine operations carried out in the zone by the Edo State Command .
Addressing National Daily in his office in Benin City, the State commandant , Mr. Walter Akubuiroh decried the alarming rate at which pipelines in the zones are vandalized while reiterating some of its operations set up to curb the menace caused by vandals.
“Since I assumed duty as the state commandant in the lastseven-month ,we have fought vandalism. The command have arrested nothing less than 30-offender,with 15-thanker conveying adulterated products seized at other instances and charged to Court for onward prosecution . As we speak now,3-suspect, Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, Yakima Mohammed for and Kabiru Ali drivers were arrested along Benin Auchi express way at Ehor uhunmwode local government area with products suspected to be adulterated Automotive Gas oil,AGO,heading to the northern part of Nigeria with their truck inscribed with NNPC and fake waybills to deceive our Men but thankfully, they were not cleverer enough to outsmart my Men.
It will be recalled that in the Niger Delta Region multiples of oil pipelines have been vandalized with barrels of crudes stollen by vandals which has affected oil and gas production whilst national economic growth stagnated. In accordance with the 2003 act promulgated by Federal government the NSCDC was mandated to Monitor, protect, arrest and prosecute offenders against pipelines carrying unrefined crude products.
Commandant Akubuiroh however call on other relevant security agencies and stakeholders to collaborate with them while lamenting that in its bid to respond swiftly to emergencies, logistics has proved a major setback when information is received; asserting that in other cases, communities help perpetrators achieve this unacceptable act.
