NSCDC Reiterates Commitment to Combating Illegal Oil Bunkering in Rivers
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has reiterated its commitment to fighting the menace of oil theft and illegal dealings in petroleum products in Rivers State.
The State Commandant of NSCDC, Michael Ogar, made the commitment yesterday in Port Harcourt, while reacting to a petition berating his performance by a civil society group, Youth and Environmental Advocacy Center (YEAC-Nigeria and United Kingdom).
The group had in the petition demanded the redeployment of the NSCDC Commandant from Rivers for allegedly failing to perform his duties, abuse of office and continuous frustration of the federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign against crude oil theft, artisanal refineries and environmental management efforts in the State.
In the statement signed by Olufemi Ayodele, Public Relations Officer of the command, Ogar said the Executive Director of the Advocacy Center, Fyneface Dumuname Fyneface, and the foreign journalists who visited the command were not prevented from having access to his office neither were there any intension to embarrass or obstruct their interview process.
He noted that they were politely informed that there would be need for them to get official clearance from the Corps National Headquarters in Abuja, before details of arrests of suspects, convictions and forfeitures could be made available for public consumption by the Rivers State Command.
“Let me further affirm that the Command is a Public environment and my office is open to everyone except there are exigencies of duty or emergencies beyond our control; there is no way a visitor would come to my office and would be denied access.
“The office of the Rivers NSCDC State Commandant is open to the public and under my watch, the command has partnered with state government, sister security agencies, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, faith based and traditional institutions which has enhanced the fight against oil theft and illegal dealings in petroleum products in Rivers State.
“In addition, the general public is free to find out and assess the successes and achievements of the Command within my 10 months assumption of office. These are very evidential and visibly published on social media and press statements.
“It is also expedient to state that within July, 2022, to date, the command has made 180 arrests in which 389 suspects were involved; we have secured 26 convictions with 41 number of convicts while 40 exhibits which includes: Cars, Boats, Trucks and Petroleum products have been forfeited and proceeds remitted into federal government coffers.”
Ogar further stated that the command was ready to partner with well-meaning Nigerians, especially YEAC-Nigeria and United Kingdom in order to enhance the fulfilment of their mandate and the collective fight to rid the state from crude oil theft, environmental mismanagement and pollution.
