By Bose Adelaja

In what appears to be a frantic effort to combat pipeline vandalism in Nigeria, Lagos State chapter of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has cried out that oil pipeline vandals are being sponsored by some powerful individuals in the country, a situation which has enabled them to procure weapons that seem superior to those of law enforcement agents.

The state commandant of the NSCDC, Gabriel Abafi, spoke while referring to the January 2015 fracas in Oke-Oko, a border town between Ikorodu, Lagos and Ifo local government area of Ogun State, which left three members of NSCDC  still missing and two others injured, while two policemen and a civilian were felled by bullets during a raid by the NSCDC in the area.

He called on the federal and state governments to declare the affected area a danger zone, saying only a combined team of the military and other security agencies can put an end to the illicit business oil pipeline vandalism. Lamenting that the vandals had been having a field day since the incident, the commandant said he had intensified the search for the missing men by enlisting the assistance of other security outfits in the state. His words: ‘’We are still searching for three of our men.  We have contacted all the security organisations to help us in the search.

Unfortunately the vandals are having a field day in the community and this is so painful because what belongs to the entire nation is being cornered by some individuals who have sponsors and buyers”. According to him, the affected families have been contacted to join the state chapter in prayers for the recovery of the missing officials as there is no clue to their whereabouts. He added: ‘’We want to keep the names secret so that emotions will not be raised by affected families who have been coming to our office. Also, we have been pleading with them to join us in prayers”. Abafi claimed there was no clue on the whereabouts of the missing men.

He called on people to desist from buying products from vandals, saying, “If there are no buyers, these people will stop operation. We hereby urge the state and federal governments to declare the place a no go area for the vandals even if it means taking possession of the area.’’

Meanwhile, Oke-Oko residents have urged government to provide adequate security in the community. They claimed the vandals have re-grouped making the community unsafe without regard to law enforcement agents.   It will be recalled that gunmen stormed Owutu Police Station, Ikorodu and opened fire, killing two policemen and a civilian after suspecting that their men might have been detained in the station following the raid by the NSCDC.