By SUMAILA OGBAJE /KELECHI OGUNLEYE
ABUJA- The Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Audi, has dismissed insinuations of conflict of responsibility between NSCDC and the Nigeria Police Force.
Audi dismissed the insinuation when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
He said the corps was a specialised agency created by Nigerian government charged with a very specialised function as encapsulated in the national security strategy document approved by the office of the National Security Adviser.
According to him, it is stated very clearly there that the corps is a lead agency in the area of critical national assets and infrastructure.
“Now, agreed that the police is in charge of internal security. So what we expect in the area of pipeline vandalism is that when other agencies arrest they handover to us like from the Navy, the Army, they handover to us and we prosecute because we have the mandate.
“If you read, if you check the document, Petroleum Sabotage Act, it is stated clearly that it is Civil Defence and EFCC that has the power to prosecute oil thieves and it is very clear there and perhaps sometimes we go for advice too because of their experience.
“We go to get advice from Navy and other institutions for guide because they are in the high sea and they have been arresting these people.
“And so when they hand over to us, we prosecute and then once we take to court, we leave it for the judiciary to decide on whatever happens to them, ” he explained.
Audi said there was no basis for the call for merger of NSCDC and Police, saying the corps had remained focused on doing its job without any form of contest with anyone. (NAN)
