By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
When the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was founded in 2003 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, one of its major functions was to maintain 24 hours surveillance on critical national assets of government.
The President was worried by the activities of vandals in the oil producing region and tasked the corps to protect it.
The corps was tasked to ensure twenty four hours surveillance over government facilities, these facilities could belong to the federal government, state or local government.
According to the act, the NSCDC is authorized to enter any place, any where and any premises in search of any suspected proceed used for vandalization, and once the Corps enters any premises and found out that there are proceed or material, they can seize such material.
It was on this ground that the Nigerian Navy on the 14 April 2016, handed over a warehouse at Ogbogoro laden with over 200 drums of illegally refined Ago and 4 suspects to NSCDC.
The men of NNS PATHFINDER deployed for anti-crude oil theft and illegal bunkering patrol in 2016, discovered a warehouse at Ogbogoro Ozoba waterside, Choba; the patrol team raided the warehouse and discovered over 200 drums, 4 GP tanks, 3 wooden boats, several polythene bags and
jerry cans laden with suspected illegally refined AGO.
According to a letter signed by Commander, JS Morgan, Head of Anti Vandals, Taking Over Officer and Handing Over Officer, Captain O. O Soyemi, said, “Your organisation was invited vide PF:015/654/VOL.II/36 dated 12 April 2016, to take over the warehouse. All items discovered and suspects should be investigations and possible prosecution.
“Accordingly, I have been directed to hand over the warehouse and items
discovered, including the suspects to your organisation for further custody investigation and necessary action. The names of the suspects and items being handed over to your organisation are contained in Annex A of this Handing Over”.
With this background, many at the court of public opinion familiar with the NSCDC activities in the region were quick to call the bluff of the Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, George Ariolu,
when he accused the NSCDC and other security agencies of aiding activities of the vandals in the area.
The allegation led to the disbandment of the anti vandal unit in the state to pave way for investigation, as Audi promised to run an exemplary agency.
In its response to the allegation in a statement, the NSCDC said the Jetty at Ogbogoro is a place where vessels, boats and barges arrested over illegal bunkering activities are kept awaiting court verdict.
The statement signed by State the Public Relations Officer, Oguntuase Michael, said the place was invaded by some group of persons led by the Chairman of ObioAkpo LGA for for illegal bunkering activities.
While saying that the chairman acted in ignorance of the activities of the corps, the statement recalled that the said site has a history of being known for big hive of illegal bunkering activities in the past before the NSCDC Anti Vandal Team dislodged them and made it an NSCDC jetty, where arrested products, boats, vessels and barges are kept awaiting court verdict. The Command taking over the site was to bar further illegal oil business in the area.
“Evidence abounds that all the boats, Vessels and Barge as well as drums found there were either arrested by the NSCDC or handed over to the NSCDC by sister security agencies like the Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) and the Nigerian Navy for further investigation and possible prosecution.
“The Command is by this release correcting the erroneous speculations making rounds that the Jetty is an illegal bunkering site where illegal dealings in the oil business are taking place in the state.
“Based on this, the general public is hereby advised to discard the assumptions and accusations associated with the NSCDC to illegal bunkering activities in the state. The accusations are baseless, unfounded and untrue.
“The Command is ever willing to secure the critical assets in the state from vandals and will not hesitate to sanction any erring officer found wanting in line of duty!
“The public is hereby implored to report any erring officer of the command to the State Commandant for possible sanctioning.”
To demonstrate its consistency in the anti vandal war, the corps recently nabbed 40 suspected oil thieves, along with 10 trucks used in carrying out the illegal activity in Rivers State.
Also paraded at the exhibition by the NSCDC Rivers State Command, include nine boats, 69 jerry cans and drums, 100 pipes and 83 sack bags filled with suspected illegally refined petroleum products.
Speaking while inspecting the suspects and exhibits at the Rivers State Command, Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, warned oil thieves and vandals to relocate from Nigeria.
Audi said he was on a routine visit to the state, as Rivers State is the epicentre of the corps’ anti vandalization drive, assuring that the corps is saddled with the responsibility of protecting critical national assets and infrastructure.
“In the bid to checkmate the excesses of oil thieves and illegal oil bunkering as well as ensuring the critical national assets in the state are safe from economic saboteurs, the NSCDC Rivers State Command in collaboration with other sister security agencies such as the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Army has arrested 40 suspected oil thieves, 10 trucks, nine boats, 69 jerry cans and drums, 100 oil pipes and 83 sacks filled with suspected adulterated petroleum products in different parts of the state.
“Other items recovered from the suspects include seven pumping machines, seven 40HP Yamaha engines, one 90HP Yamaha Engine and several houses used for acts of vandalism.
“The arrested suspects are currently undergoing thorough investigation and will soon be charged to court for possible prosecution,” he said.
The NSCDC boss announced that plans are underway to reward personnel of the Corp, who have performed excellently in their duties.
“I wish to inform the general public that the Corps is poised to meet any group of persons or individuals intending to tamper with the Critical National Assets and Infrastructure within the state with stiff resistance.
“On this note, I am calling on every good-spirited individual in the state to please report any strange movement around them to the nearest security post for prompt action.
“If you see something, you must say something.”
Speaking further on the activities of the corps, the CG, said Ogbogoro jetty has remained its marine exhibits yard for over 10years, as every marine exhibits like boats, vessels, barges drums, arrested are handed over to the Corps by sister agencies pending investigation and court prosecution.
Audi, who conducted newsmen round the yard, insisted that the yard has been the Corps’ marine exhibits yard.
He disclosed that the Corps has intelligence report that hoodlums were planning to attack the yard, by setting it ablaze in order to destroy the exhibits, assuring that such plans will be strongly resisted.
“This place is our marine exhibits yard and not an illegal dump. Most of the exhibits here were arrested by the Navy and handed over to us, while some of the arrests were made by us.
“We have deployed personnel to ensure the place is secured, Ogbogoro jetty is a no-go area for anybody, because destroying this place means destroying the exhibits to prove that these products were all stolen.
“If any of our personnel is caught, please report the person to us and we will discipline the person accordingly.”
Meanwhile, the Commandant General on Monday, rejiging the Rivers State Command of the Corps for effective service delivery and optimal performance.
This is in the furtherance of his assurance to restructure and reconstitute the anti vandal unit of Rivers State command with a view to prioritizing the safety and protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure towards putting an end to attacks or wanton vandalism.
He said NSCDC as the lead agency in safeguarding all Critical National Assets and Infrastructure in Nigeria is poised to putting in place a robust response and coordination system to guarantee safety and formidability of the country as Africa’s largest economy and leading oil exporter with the largest natural gas reserves.
Dr Audi made this bold statement, while receiving the report of an Investigative committee set up to investigate the allegations by the governor of Rivers State against some personnel said to be aiding and abbeting suspected illegal dealers in petroleum products.
The committee which conducted an on the spot assessment of different locations in Rivers State including the NSCDC jetty and the exhibit yard where all impounded oil tankers, drums of illegally refined products, barges and boats were kept while awaiting Court judgement was headed by Acting DCG operations, Mohammed Lawal Haruna from the National headquarters Abuja.
The CG decried the action of some bad eggs within the Corps in various formations and gave stern warning to all heads of anti vandal unit to refrain from any form of compromise, charging them to be more committed, purposeful and patriotic in fulfilling the mandates of the Corps without prejudice.
“Henceforth, a telescopic monitoring would be launched on the activities of the anti vandal squads in all formations and anyone not living up to expectation would be shown the way out immediately. You must wake up from your slumber to arrest and prosecute vandals and criminals.“
In a transparent move to ensure greater efficiency in the frontline of the Corps Anti Vandalism campaign in Rivers State which is the epicenter of oil exploration activities, the Corps helmsman methodically rejig the Command by removing the former Head of the Anti Vandal Unit who is from the North Central and replaced him with a New Head from South East, the State Commandant has also been replaced with a New Commandant from the North West while the Zonal Commander hailed from the South South.
With these changes, many commentators believe that the CG has taken the right steps to strengthen the operations of the corps across the country.
