The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has intensified its efforts to combat the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the country. The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, revealed that the agency had destroyed over 100 illegal refineries and arrested over 200 suspects involved in illicit activities in the last two years.
Audi made this disclosure at the second CG’s conference in Abuja on Wednesday, where he urged the personnel of the NSCDC to redouble their efforts in tackling the emerging security threats.
He said the NSCDC had prioritised training and retraining, as well as procurement of modern operational and communication equipment, to enhance the capacity of the corps.
He also listed some of the key areas that the NSCDC needed to focus on, such as:
- Protection of critical national assets and infrastructure
- Protection of farmers and farmlands to guarantee food security
- Protection of facilities in the power, telecoms, and transportation sector, especially rail infrastructure
- Covert and overt operations, discrete investigation, and intelligence gathering to track down criminals
Audi said the NSCDC must deploy new strategies to tackle the spate of insecurity in the land. He also assured the operatives of his continuous support and commended them for their dedication and sacrifice.
The NSCDC is a paramilitary agency established by an act of parliament in 2003 to provide security services to Nigerians. The agency is also mandated to protect lives and property, prevent and manage disasters, maintain peace and order, and enforce laws and regulations.
