Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Akinsanya Iskilu Abiodun, the Delta State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), yesterday issued a major order for the deployment of soldiers to strengthen security at vital national infrastructure and assets in the state.
The security chief also instructed the 25 divisional officers, several Heads of Department, and Area Commanders to oversee the deployment of the officers.
Akinsanya said the order was in keeping with his renewed efforts to maintain a crime-free society and the urgent need to bolster up security in all crucial national assets and infrastructure in a statement released by Corps Public Relations Officer, DSC Emeka Okwechime.
“To provide proper security and protection of all public facilities, as well as all vital assets and infrastructure throughout the state, the State Commandant has ordered the widespread deployment of officers.
He also gave orders for all area commanders, different heads of departments and units, and the 25 divisional officers to supervise and keep an eye on the officers who were in the field. The statement said, “In a similar vein, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr. Abubakar Audi Ahmed, directed the urgent deployment of NSCDC personnel to schools in order to ensure the safe school initiative of the Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Regarding the amount of money lost by the federal government due to stolen crude, the head of the NSCDC in Delta State argued that if not for the NSCDC’s emergence and valiant efforts to address the problems in the Niger Delta Region, pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft would have been worse or would have taken on a different form.
According to him, “the Command recently detained over 192 people, 52 tankers, 11 articulated trucks, Toyota Sequoia Jeeps, Sienna bus, Mini buses, Saloon Cars, and 50mm diameter hoses, all used in the unlawful trading in petroleum products, crude oil theft, and pipeline vandalism.”
Speaking on the accomplishments of the Command, Akinsanya urged the judiciary to swiftly handle all NSCDC cases in order to hasten the trials and prosecutions of suspects in crude oil theft who have been presented before the court.
He continued, “If these offenders are given prompt and regular jail sentences, it will act as a deterrent to others not to take up crime.”
