NSCDC arrest 60 oil vandals within five months

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Lagos State Command on Monday said it has arrested 60 persons involved in oil and pipeline vandalism within five months.

The Commandant, Gabriel Abafi made this statement at the State’s Command Headquarters, Alausa, Ikeja, during the review of the Corps’ activities since the beginning of 2015.

Abafi said: “The Anti-Vandalism Unit of the command has arrested over 60 suspected vandals. They were involved in vandalism of some infrastructures of the government, especially petroleum pipelines and installations. Despite the Face Off we had at Owutu Isawo area of Ikorodu with suspected pipeline vandals in the month of January, where three of our personnel were abducted by the vandals, the Corps has, in collaboration with other security agencies ensured that sanity is restored in the area.

“The vandals are becoming more sophisticated in their mode of operations, but this will not deter the Corps from carrying out its statutory functions!”

According to the Commandant, the Corps had been equipped to fight vandals and it wouldn’t shy away from such battle. He added that the Federal Government had also provided logistics to ensure 24 hours surveillance on government infrastructures.

Revealing that the Corps also has an Anti-Fraud Unit, Abafi said that the Unit was currently handling about 20 fraud cases.

He noted: “One of the cases has to do with visa scam. The suspect collected the sum of N210, 000 from the victim, identified as Mrs. Ike Kehinde. The suspect, a lady, promised Mrs. Kehinde that she would get visa for her to travel to the United States. The suspect is still at large and investigation is ongoing to fish her out.”

He said that in the month under review, the Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit handled over 13 cases, ranging from landlord/tenant conflicts, family disputes, breach of public peace, child abuse and breach of contractual agreement.

“Out of these cases, some have been resolved while the rest are still pending," said Abafi.

He applauded the efforts of all other security agencies for working hand in hand with NSCDC in fighting crimes in the country.