Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, has promised zero tolerance and renews efforts against oil pipeline vandalism in the State.

Its Commandant, Eweka Okoro stated this after a briefing by the Commandant General, Ahmed Audi at the National Headquarters Abuja.

He doubled the efforts of his men towards ensuring a zero tolerance against oil pipeline vandalism and other form of criminalities in the state.

Following the renewed alertness, the marine and anti-vandal team, of the Command, who were on routine surveillance and patrol, intercepted some suspected vandals who were engaging in what was suspected to be an organised cross – border smuggling activity of petroleum products from Nigeria to Benin Republic on the high sea, at the Oniru beach, of Lagos state.

Its Head, Assistant Commandant of Corps, Adegbayibi Adebayo,
who led the operation, stated that five suspected vandals namely ; Israel Oluwayemi age 35 male(m), Issa Quadri age 49 m, Matthew Ayobami age 29 m, Altra Suwesa age 40 m and Adedoyin Elikena age 52 m were arrested immediately during the operation.

According to him, a big boat loaded with one hundred and nineteen drums suspected vandalised premium motor spirit thirty-eight other empty drums, recovers two pumping machines and one 60hp engine at the oniru beach in Lagos state.

He immediately ordered the Intelligence department of the command to commence investigation on the matter and the anti-vandal unit of the Command to commence the evacuation of the suspected products and the recovered items back to the Lagos State Command, Head Quarters, in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, in a bid, to carry out further intelligent investigation on the matter and find a lasting solution to such ugly economic sabotage in the area.

The Commandant was accompanied to the crime scene by Deputy Commandant Ayo Agoro in charge of Special Duties and ASCI Abolurin Oluwaseun Olumide, Public Relations Officer of the command.

The Commandant, Eweka Okoro has also directed that the security of lives and property and the protection of oil pipelines at the Oniru axis and other areas in the state be beefed up immediately, especially during the end of the year season like this, where some people may want to exhibit their desperation for illicit money at all cost, against the patriotic and collective development of the nation’s economy.

The Commandant said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) office in the state has also been contacted for proper evacuation of the products because of the highly inflammable nature of it.

Okoro seized the occasion to further reiterate the Command’s readiness and commitment to ensuring a zero tolerance against oil pipeline vandalism and other form of criminalities in the state.

He further assured the good people of Lagos and the Government of Lagos State of his unflinching commitment and dedication towards sustaining the already established peace and security in the state.

He promised that the Corps will continue to work assiduously and laboriously, with the Government and other security services or agencies and stakeholders in the state, to further proffer solutions to any form of security challenges that may want to raise their ugly heads, especially in the yuletide seasons as it were.