By Alex Olise
The Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has commended the Rivers State Governor, Barr Nyesom Wike for his resolve to improve the security of lives and property of citizens through empowerment of security agencies to deliver on their assigned mandates and the donation of 14 gunboats to tackle oil theft.
The NSCDC boss also congratulated all the security agencies in Rivers State who received the gunboats and commended the government for donating 14 gunboats to fortify security in the state, reiterating that this gesture will go a long way in fighting criminality especially act of sabotage in the oil industry which has taken its toll on the socio economic development of the Niger Delta Region, The Trumpet, gathered.
He continued that, as the lead agency in the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, the gunboats could not have come at a better time than now that NSCDC has renewed its onslaught against vandals, oil thieves, and illegal oil bunkerers who are mostly armed with heavy weaponry against security agencies.
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In an e-statement signed by DCC Olusola Odumosu the Director Public Relation NSCDC made available to The Trumpet, he stated that the support given by the state governor to the Corps has boosted the morale of the Anti Vandal Squad of the Rivers State Command and spurred them into more actionable operations for greater success. He affirmed that the Corps would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that vandals and other economic saboteurs are wiped out completely from the oil sector.
The Corps helmsman charged the Rivers State Commandant, Abu Abdu Tambuwal and all officers and men of the Command to make judicious use of the gunboat in achieving better results in the protection of government assets and infrastructure and to equally maintain it in such a way that the State government will be interested in doing more for the Corps.
Briefing his officers and men at the State Command after the Commissioning of 14 Ballistic Gun Boats donated by the Government of Rivers State to improve the security of the State, the Commandant, Abu Abdu Tambuwal vowed to sniff out all those involved in Crude oil theft, illegal dealings in Petroleum products and vandalism of oil pipelines in Rivers State and charged the personnel to be unwavering in this new resolve.
Tambuwal who was conspicuously present alongside other Service Commanders at the occasion to receive the gunboat on behalf of the Corps thanked His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for remembering the Corps and assured that the State Governor’s magnanimity would further strengthen the war against Oil pipeline Vandalism in the State.
Tambuwal further said the NSCDC as the lead agency in Safeguarding of all Critical National Assets and Infrastructure would continue to work relentlessly to rid the State of economic saboteurs, stressing that the Rivers State Command under his watch had arrested 11 suspects in connection with illegal dealings in petroleum products, the Command also impounded 8 Trucks and 3 Cars within his one month assumption of Office.
He reiterated that every suspect arrested would be prosecuted according to the extant laws, urging the good people of the State to collaborate with the NSCDC by giving credible Intelligence that would help to nip in the bud all operators of illegal refineries and economic saboteurs in Rivers State.