By Egufe Yafugborhi

WARRI—A security expert, Shola Mese has said only a sustained orientation of oil host communities on implications of the criminal activities of vandals in their domain will avert the unending attack and theft on oil and gas facilities as opposed to a military invasion and use of force of arms.

FILE: BOMBED—Major Gen. Alani Okunola, Commander of the Joint Task Force (Middle); pointing to part of a severed pipeline, while Brig. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, Commander, 4 Brigade, Benin (2nd left); Lt. Col. Igwe P. Omoke, Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion Effurun (2nd right)and others watch during inspection of the gas pipeline in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State bombed by suspected militants. Inset: Other damaged areas. Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire.

Mese, Managing Director, Focus Guard Security who described the recent attacks on pipelines in Delta state as a national embarrassment also blamed the impunity with which criminals break into pipelines on “misplaced engagement of incompetent persons or groups” in the water ways security. Security experts should handle security or surveillance of oil facilities, instead of the cosmetic appointment of people who know nothing about security and intelligence gathering.

“Dialogue and proper investigation is what is required to bring the perpetrators to book. The lost of mega watts and sundry collateral damaged within the few days of the attack cannot be measured with military pursuit of a wanted person that triggered it,” he said.

Mese further appealed for proper funding of the Nigerian security agencies to work hand in hand with the communities for meaningful policing of the oil producing environment.

On the feared invasion of community leaders by the government, the security expert called for restraint, saying “force of arms can only be temporal. It has proven to be a failure in the long term. Proper orientation is what communities need.”