By NGOZI UWUJARE

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The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Mr. Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, said another 5,000 personnel of the corps are already in the North East protecting the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and occupying the areas liberated by the military in the region.
He told Daily Sun in Abuja that the corps as a specialised security government agency “is always positioned to protect the critical infrastructure of the country and will always deliver on its constitutional mandate.”
He claimed that the NSCDC is the formost security agency in protecting critical infrastructure: “Therefore NNPC really needs the organization to combat the menace of vandalism that has affected negatively the production of 2.2 million barrels of oil per day. The supply of gas from 1.4 billion to 700 million has greatly affected the economics of the country, as well as the power sector.
“The NNPC is equally committed to partnering with the NSCDC to curb the losses experienced by the corporation due to activities of pipeline vandals.”
Muhammadu stated that the corps was faced with challenges that have really affected the capacity of carrying out actions on vandals: “We are faced with the challenge of not having enough power to quench            the activities of the vandals.
“We are in need of arms, patrol vehicles and other security appliances to enable us wipe off these organized vandals who have equipped themselves with very sophisticated weapons to carry out their dastard acts.
He disclosed that the NSCDC destroyed 450 illegal refineries nationwide and over 3,000 suspected vandals were arrested while trucks impounded were handed over to the Ministry of Defence as requested.
Muhammadu said: “NSCDC is Servicom complaint as the officers and men of the corps are very disciplined. They are committed and dedicated to duty, maintained as a grassroots security agency. We have first-hand knowledge on how best to relate with the public. We are always in contact with the people, both in the rural areas and in the urban centres.
“It is on record that our officers and men wherever they are called upon perform their constitutional mandates conscientiously and the general public can attest to our personality profile. The NSCDC regulates the private guard companies and the corps has done well in sanitizing the sector.”
He said the NSCDC owes it a duty within purview of the law to do everything to ensure security, peace and harmony of the citizenry: “Nigeria is being plagued by several threats. These include terrorism, armed robbery and kidnapping, religious extremism, vandalism of national asset and infrastructure, corruption and impunity and other social vices that manifest daily.”