Covid-19 Lock Down Update Day 10: Fighting Between Global Pandemic And War With Recalcitrant Vandals In Ogun State

ABEOKUTA: As the war against the global pandemic goes on devastating the world, the public has been charged to also be vigilant against the activities of vandals of public infrastructure.

According to a press release e-signed and made available to StarTrend Int’l magazine & www.startrendinternational.com by Dyke Ogbonnaya, State Public Relations Executive, NSCDC, for: State Commandant, the call became imperative as hoodlums now using the opportunity of the lockdown to perpetrate illegality under the cover of low human and vehicular movement.

As at the time of writing this release, the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammadu Buahri, had announced a two weeks extension of the lockdown period to further observe the rate of spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun State Command Headquarters, Abeokuta, Alhaji Hameed Abodunrin, had been confronting headlong the  activities of vandals across the State, all aimed at abating incessant pipeline explosion and oil theft in the State.

At about 0100 hours (01:00 am) of Monday, April 13, 2020, the Command received Intelligence report about a dreaded vandal gang in the Akute-Odo area of the State which made the Command’s anti-vandal squad led by the Commandant, to move into the creeks in search of the hoodlums.

Though the vandals fled into the creeks, but abandoned several loaded kegs of fifty litres of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) in the river.

While the men of the Corps are still on the trail of the vandals,  they also cut into pieces the hoses used by the perpetrators to siphon the PMS product from the punctured pipeline with a distance of about two kilometres.

In a related development, just about a week ago, the Corps arrested a towing vehicle on the same NNPC right of way which suspected vandals deployed to evacuate carcass of the tankers initially burnt for trespassing on the line.

Meanwhile, the State Commandant,  has commended the synergy between his command and other agencies working on the NNPC PROW

“There is a good working relationship especially with the Nigerian military noting the Nigerian Navy through the Operation Awatse has been so cooperative,” he said.

Alhaji Hameed Abodunrin stated further that “With adequate cooperation of all agencies in Nigeria, economic sabotage will go down completely.”