By Sunday Attah
In a bid to tackle menace of crude oil theft, the Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has warned critical infrastructure vandals in the country to desist as the corps will not relent in meeting their actions with the full wrath of the law.
Audi at a fora with Chief Executives of Civil Society Organizations in Abuja warned persons vandalising critical infrastructure in the country to steer clear, saying it will not hesitate to make them bear the pains of NSCDC power.
The Commandant General noted that the Corps was created by an Act of Parliament and saddled with responsibility of protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure and national assets, which include among others, protection of petroleum pipelines, gas installations, telecommunication facilities, transport facilities such as rails, and roads.
Audi declared: “I just want to remind the vandals that vandalizing critical infrastructure of government is a criminal offence and I want to tell them to desist because we are watching them and would not sit down and watch people doing that.
“The NSCDC is on alert and we are going to go after them. In fact, they are going to desist from the crime or face the wrath of the law. That is the Corps resolution.”
The NSCDC helmsman said the Civil Defence would not relent in the pursuit of Mr President’s Policy of protecting critical infrastructure of the country and would continue to ensure safe haven for law abiding citizens of the nation.
The Commandant General assured the Civil Society Organizations that the corps is ready to establish a robust relationship with them for a better collaboration to tackle economic saboteurs.
He said “We will always partner with you and other relevant agencies to stop this menace of inhuman activities against the nation”.
During the course of the engagement with the civil society organizations, the NSCDC boss said lots of successes have been made and significantly among them is the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) which have increased its operational skills and recently through credible intelligence nabbed 3 suspects while in a conveyance of already vandalized railway track slippers loaded in a heavy-duty truck along Keffi flyover, Keffi Local Government Area in Nasarawa State.