The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has on Monday, replaced River state commandant, after carefully restructured the Antivandal unit in the state.
River state Governor, Nyesom Wike had on January, 15, 2022 accused a divisional police officer in Rivers State of operating an illegal refinery in the state.
Mr. Wike said the officer heads the police division in Emohua Local Government Area of the state, and demanded his redeployment from Rivers State.
Following this, NSCDC boss, Dr. Audi immediately restructured and reconstituted 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.
In a statement on Monday by DCC Olusola Odumosu
Director, Public Relations
NSCDC National Headquarters, Abuja stated that Dr. Audi has affirmed his commitment to sanitizing and rejiging the Rivers State Command of the Corps for effective service delivery and optimal performance.
According to the statement,
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.
The statement further explained that, Dr. Audi, 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, further
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.
He charged them to be more committed, purposeful and patriotic in fulfilling the mandates of the Corps without prejudice.
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 hails from the South South.
“I have charged the New Commandant and the newly reconstituted Anti Vandal Unit to launch a total war against petroleum pipeline vandals, illegal oil bunkerers and all economic saboteurs by dislodging vandals, arresting oil thieves and dismantling all illegal refineries and road blocks.
“Any attempt to delay immediate prosecution of arrested suspects is tantamount to compromise and any personnel caught collecting settlement or tampering with impounded tankers, petroleum products and other exhibits would be sanctioned and dealt with decisively according to the Standard Operating Procedures and Code of Ethics of the Corps” he said
He assured that the NSCDC under his watch will not condone any act of recklessness, indiscipline, negligence or compromise by any operatives as this is not only counter productive but at variance with his principles and the corporate existence of the Corps.
He said, 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, just as he charged them to wake up from their slumber, to arrest and prosecute vandals and criminals.
