Oil Theft: NSCDC CG Reads Riot Act to Commandants in Niger Delta

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi, has read the riot act to commandants in the Niger Delta states to get rid of economic saboteurs, vandals, criminals, oil thieves in the area, even as he ordered for round the clock surveillance of all oil facilities.

The order followed an earlier marching order by President Bola Tinubu that the oil rich region should be rid of all criminal activities inimical to the growth of the oil sector.

A statement by the spokesman of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, yesterday read: “Given the Presidential order to rid the nation’s oil sector of economic saboteurs, vandals, criminals, oil thieves, and other nefarious activities inimical to the growth of the sector, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, has read the riot act to commandants of the Niger Delta states to ensure full compliance.

“Having summoned the concerned state commandants to the national headquarters of the Corps in Abuja, the CG gave them marching orders to immediately rejig their Anti-vandal Units as a measure to arrest oil theft and vandalism of critical national assets.”

The spokesman said the CG warned that the President had declared zero tolerance for crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, and other frivolous dealings in petroleum products, therefore, anyone found aiding and abetting economic saboteurs will face the full wrath of the law.

“This meeting became necessary to convey President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the absolute need to end all sharp practices in the nation’s oil sector.”

Audi was quoted to have said: “Oil remains the mainstay of our economy, you must therefore rejig your Anti-vandal Units to end the problem of oil theft in compliance with federal government’s directives.

“We have a duty to protect our oil and gas sectors from vandalism and prevent illegal bunkerers from destroying our oil installations, infrastructure and earnings.”

The CG also charged the state commandants to maintain 24 hours surveillance of the oil facilities across the country, work with host communities and gather enough credible information and intelligence to checkmate the menace.

He emphasised the need for safe keeping of all exhibits, security of exhibit centres and strict adherence to the code of ethics and standard operating procedure of the Corps.

The Corps helmsman warned that his administration will not condone any compromise or unethical conducts from any command or personnel, promising to hold any state commandant accountable for oil theft, acts of indiscipline, breakdown of law and order in their domains.

He said: “As the lead agency in the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, there is a need to be determined and resilient in the fight against crude oil theft.

“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is already changing the narrative for good and we cannot afford to let the President and the entire nation down.”

Audi equally charged the personnel on synergy and collaboration with other security agencies as well as critical stakeholders to reduce crude oil theft to its barest minimum.