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 .

Some of the siezed products.

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.

One of the seized Tankers

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.