The Nigeria Security
and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Bayelsa Command says the activities of a
powerful oil theft syndicate in Bayelsa was out to tarnish the image of the organization
and its efforts against economic saboteurs.
The Bayelsa Command of
the NSCDC said it is winning the war against oil theft in oilfields and
pipelines crisscrossing the state.
The Command on
Saturday pledged to sustain its efforts at check oil theft and pipeline
vandalism despite smear campaign by oil thieves and syndicates behind the illicit
act.
Mr Godwin Nwachukwu,
the state NSCDC Commandant said on Saturday in Yenagoa that allegations that
officials of the Command shot a vigilance team member was untrue.
He said that criminal
oil theft syndicates who were sabotaging the efforts of the Command to
safeguard national assets in the oilfields located in the state were behind the
allegation to divert attention from ongoing massive oil theft.
.
He maintained that
officials of the Command were well trained in handling arms and do not use
firearms indiscriminately.
"There are
efforts to distract us, blackmail us and divert attention from our war against
oil theft and vandalism on oil infrastructure which affects the environment and
the nation's economy.
"Ikarama is notorious
for oil theft, pipeline vandalism and the syndicate has always adopted various
devilish strategies to frustrate the efforts of the NSCDC to stop their
practices, despite the antics of these evil merchants, we remain resolute to
end this economic crime.
"In the early
hours of Monday our anti-vandal team based in Ikarama community responded to a
case of sabotage on oil pipeline in the area, our men did not release a single
gunshot even amidst provocation, they were professional in the operation.
"Though the prime
suspect escaped, we were able to arrest a woman who works with him and knew his
whereabouts, the woman was interrogated and later released.
“We did not shoot or
injure anybody, the claim is not true," Nwachukwu said.
He said that the
Command however responded to the allegations of shooting an indigene out of its
sensitivity to human rights of citizen and embarked on a fact-finding mission
and offered to take the supposed victim to hospital.
"We requested
before the king to take the so called victim to a hospital of their choice for
medical examination, but the community refused, we cannot succumb to any plot
by vandals and their sponsors to stop us from carrying our lawful duties,"
Nwachukwu said.
Nwachukwu vowed that
the “spurious allegations’’ would not deter the command from its mandate.
According to him, the
officials deployed to protect oil facilities at Ikarama community shot in self-defense
when attacked by the community youths.
He explained that the
command acted in response to reports of persistent sabotage on oil facilities
by deploying men to arrest suspects behind the vandalism.
The commandant said
that after the earlier operation on Feb 20, members of the community had
ambushed men of the NSCDC who were on their legitimate duties at the oilfields.
According to Nwachukwu,
the community people demobilized the metal bridge that serves as exit to trap
the NSCDC men.
.
“In the face of the
threat my men acted in self-defense and fired two warning shots into the air to
scare away the hostile crowd armed with dangerous weapons, no one was shot at,
and no one was injured” he explained.
However, Chief Richard
Seiba, the traditional ruler of Ikarama, in his reaction to the alleged
shooting of one Mr Perekurofa Odoyibo, alleged that NSCDC officials shot the
victim who is currently receiving medical attention.
“What the Civil
Defence people did was regrettable. They shot the boy twice in the arm and leg.
I have just visited him and he is in pains,” the monarch said.
Mr Ben Warder, a youth
leader in the area, also said that personnel of the Bayelsa Command of NSCDC
had visited the victim at home where he was being treated with local herbs.
“We are at a loss why
the same people who denied shooting of our youths came and wanted to take away
the victim; they came with so much force and did not tell us that they were
taking him to hospital.
“That was why we
refused, they must first accept responsibility for what happened , and that we
believe is the first logical step to resolving this” the youth leader said.
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