Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
In order to leverage its resources and platforms nationally to counter economic sabotage in the oil industry, the Presidential Task Force on Smuggling, Hoarding, and Diversion of Petroleum Products has sought partnership with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The request was made by the task force’s chairman, Tijjani Kyari Mohammed, at a meeting with Dr. Ahmed Audi, Commandant General of the NSCDC, in Abuja.
The task force, also known as Operation White, would complete its work faster if intelligence was shared and the NSCDC’s legal resources were used, according to the chairman (OPW).
He claimed that by doing this, it will be able to carry out its purpose and bring those responsible for undermining the oil industry’s economy to account.
Mohammed emphasized that the task force and the corps would effectively cover all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in its assignment through collaboration, noting that it was essential to ensure sanity and check cutting practices in the oil and gas sector.
The task force chairman thanked the director of the NSCDC for helping the task force carry out its duties ever since it was formed.
He criticized the smugglers’ unrepentant behavior, saying they seemed intent on undermining government operations.
But he gave Nigerians the reassurance that the task team will quickly restore normalcy to the industry with the help of the NSCDC and other security organizations.
The task force, which has seven border crossings across the nation, may also need the assistance of the Commandant General’s Intelligence Squad (CGIS), legal counsel for the prosecution of suspects, and intelligence sharing, among other things, according to Mohammed.
Audi, who praised the task force’s achievements, said he had closely monitored Operation White’s actions and committed to continue working together and in partnership.
The head of the NSCDC claimed that since the start of the year, the corps has taken on petroleum organized crime and secured 25 convictions, with about 100 vandalism cases still ongoing in court.
He urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to support the corps with working tools and other logistics to enable it diligently accomplish its task.
