BY Bunmi Aduloju
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has asked the federal government (FG) to deploy more technology to tackle insecurity and oil theft.
Ahmed Audi, commandant general (CG), said this during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum in Abuja.
He said the available technology was not enough to combat the menace, adding that the corps had arrested and prosecuted many of the pipeline vandals.
“I had a tour last month to pipeline locations, especially in Niger Delta, it is very sad, very, very sad and very devastating,” NAN quoted Audi as saying.
“If you see the amount of vandalism where you will see people go inside the river, sea and puncture pipes.
“I don’t know how they do it, I don’t know whether they have divers who go inside, puncture a pipe, use a valve, dig a hole and then they will connect the pipe to a house that is close to the river and begin to take the fuel.”
Audi added that the NSCDC was working to spotlight its personnel who may have compromised in the course of discharging their duties.
The CG assured that any of the personnel found culpable would be dealt with decisively.
“Anybody no matter how highly placed, no matter his level or rank that is involved in colluding or conniving or in some form of compromise with oil thieves would be severely sanctioned,” Audi said.
Speaking further, the NSCDC noted that the corps was in need of new technologies to tackle the level of pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the country.
“We have realised globally now that what is used to tackle insecurity is technology. It is easier when you have the technology,” he said.
“So, it is a challenge now in the corps that we don’t have enough, of course, you can never have enough, so we want to plead with the government just like Oliver Twist for more.”
‘ARRESTED OVER 400 SUSPECTED OIL THIEVES NATIONWIDE’
He added that the NSCDC has arrested over 400 suspected oil thieves nationwide.
“We have arrested over 400 suspects that were found vandalising our pipelines, and some were found transporting vandalised crude oil. We have closed down and burnt over 50 illegally refineries,” he added.
According to him, the recent provision of gunboats will help to track and apprehend the oil thieves.
“We have recently commissioned some number of gunboats, and the gunboats have in it some very high calibre security gadgets to be used to monitor and apprehend these oil thieves,” he said.
“We also recently commissioned a number of operational vehicles and installed in them some very sensitive security gadgets that will give us information.
“This will give us information on how our personnel will monitor the pipelines to arrest and prosecute.”
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the new equipment and operational vehicles recently supplied to enhance operational efficiency in the corps.
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