‘NSCDC didn’t push any vandal into the lagoon’

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Defence Corps, Mr. Mefor Chibuzo has dispel allegations that officials of the corps pushed a suspected vandal into the lagoon.

According to Chibuzo, the operation that led to the incident, was actually based on information gathered from an informant.

He revealed that the corps got information that some persons who sell vandalised petroleum products were around certain areas in Lagos State.

Chibuzo said: “Intelligence report gathered by our officers in plain cloth was that pipeline vandals use the axis from Leventis Bus-Stop to McQueen Bridge, Onikan area of Lagos Island, to bring their petroleum products gotten from vandalised pipelines along the Atlas Cove through boats and that two particular persons had been identified as the sellers of the product.”

He said the information led anti-vandal team of the Command to carry out the operation around Onikan Area of Lagos, to arrest the seller of the petroleum products.

NSCDC arrived at the venue just as the illegal business was going on, said Chibuzo.

 The image maker added: “On sighting the officers, the suspects jumped into the water in an attempt to evade being arrested. The officers wondered why someone in his right senses decided to jump into the ocean in an attempt to evade arrest.

“We were not bothered as information we got said the person is a boat man (coxswain). We discovered at the scene was 36 kegs of 50 litres, 12 kegs of 25 litres and 15 drums of 250 litres, all filled with petroleum products were found littered at the scène.”

According to Chibuzo, these products if not intercepted by NSCDC,  would have found its way to the neighbouring countries of West African Coast like Benin, Togo and Ghana.

“The following day, the intelligence unit of the corps called the telephone number of the suspected vandal that jumped into the water and to their amazement, it  was ringing but nobody picked,” said Chibuzo.

He continued: “The rumours going on in some quarters that the officers of the Corps who carried out the operation pushed someone into the ocean is not true and should be disregarded. We urge members of thepublic not to involve themselves in illegal activities and should go about their lawful business peacefully without contravening the laws of the land.”