Enugu – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in Enugu State has vowed to clamp down on pipeline vandals.
The corps commandant in the state, Mr Stephen Lar, made the vow in Enugu on Tuesday while parading a suspected vandal who was arrested on Aug. 3.
Lar said that the command would stop at nothing to rid the state of vandals, saying that it had embarked on the patrol of all the nooks and crannies of the state which had yielded positive results.
“We heard that a group of boys was vandalising a pipeline at Nenwe in Aninri Local Government Area and we went after them.
“When we got to the junction, we arrested one of them but the rest ran away before we got to the bush where they vandalised the pipeline.
“This incident happened around midnight on Aug. 3 and when they saw my men, they ran away,” he said.
He also said that the command would mount its men on pipeline runways to prevent the activities of vandals.
Lar urged village heads and other stakeholders to always provide the corps with information as well as protect pipelines that passed through their areas
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He said that the suspected vandal in custody was assisting the corps in its investigation.
In his reaction, the suspect told newsmen that he was a commercial motorcyclist from Nenwe and was contacted by the alleged vandals to convey the goods for them.
“I went to the farm to harvest cassava, so one of the boys carrying a 25 litre-container asked me to convey him to the junction and I accepted because I know him.
“When I reached the junction, the NSCDC men arrested me and they asked me to go and show them where I was coming from.
“On our way to the farm, the NSCDC men saw a boy coming out of the farm with another 25-litre container and they rushed after him which made the boy to run away.
“Those in the farm heard the sound of the gun and ran away but I know them,” he said.
Recovered from the suspects were more than 200 litres of diesel, two unregistered motorcycles, a cutlass and a sword. (NAN)
