On Thursday, Mr. Okoro Eweka, the Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, stated that the corps would keep stepping up security around the state’s oil pipeline locations.
In response to news stories of oil theft in various regions of the nation, he made this statement in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Nigeria lost roughly N1.3 trillion to oil theft between January and August of 2022, according to information provided on Aug. 21 by the Senate’s ad hoc committee investigating oil theft and the economic harm it caused to the country.
It stated that on April 14, the Senate established a 13-member Ad-Hoc Committee on Oil Lifting, Theft, and the Impact on Petroleum Production and Oil Revenues (Upstream). Sen. Akpan Bassey, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum, will serve as the committee’s chairman.
Eweka claimed that the command had made sure that its soldiers were present around pipelines in order to deter criminals from attacking them in order to steal oil.
More than ever, the command will make sure that the key infrastructure is constantly (24/7) being watched, according to Eweka.
He claimed that the corps had teamed up with other security organisations to keep an eye on the infrastructure.
He claimed that the command would not think twice about disclosing any individuals or corporate entities involved in oil theft.
Eweka claims that theft of oil and damage to vital infrastructure are destroying the once-prosperous nation.
Eweka pledged that the corps would always put more effort into preventing oil theft and damage.
