The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State, Eweka Okoro, in this interview, tells BABATUNDE TITILOLA how the agency is fighting against pipeline vandalism and efforts to keep the state safe and secure
Since you assumed office, what has changed in the operation of NSCDC in Lagos?
It has been about 15 months since I assumed office. Prior to my coming, we had a lot of issues like vandalism, arson and oil theft. I have taken a new dimension in sensitising staff members on the need to protect our image and be focused on our mandate. After that serious discussion, the story has changed. Since then, there hasn’t been any report of bunkering in the last year. We collaborate well with other agencies like the Navy, Department of State Services, and the police. The only incident that came up was peg failure at Iyana-Oja sometime in August. We have been working effectively to curb pipeline vandalism. There has been a great improvement in the protection of government critical infrastructure like the railway, national theatre, and also cables from excavation. We have stepped up our monitoring to ensure we don’t experience such again.
What challenges does the NSCDC face in the discharge of its duties?
The Federal Government funding has not been enough. It is not its fault because there has been a dip in the government purse. The revenues are not coming in like they used to, so they can’t meet most of the requests of the corps. But the state government has been trying its best to assist us. We are a Federal Government agency but we are also working for the benefit of Lagos citizens. We have been assisted with vehicles, but we need more. The vehicles we have are ageing and budget allocation from the Federal Government is not enough. So, we still need more patronage from the state government so that we can improve our services. Nonetheless, we are more determined and focused to carry out our mandate. Recently, our new Commandant General, Abubakar Audi, has been doing a lot to assist. He knows the peculiarity of Lagos State. Recently, the corps gave us a brand new gunboat. Lagos has over 60 per cent water mass. This gunboat will help us on the waterways.
What is the relationship of NSCDC with other agencies in Lagos?
The NSCDC is having a great relationship with other agencies. We meet and share intelligence more than ever. We constantly interact on how to make Lagos a crime-free state. The new Commissioner of Police has been cooperating. He met with us and we agreed to work together. He has been carrying us along. We meet in security meetings. The Navy and Army have also been cooperating in handing over suspects to us to prosecute. Nobody knows it all. All that is needed is to reach out to others and sensitise your staff. We shouldn’t see ourselves as enemies or competitors. We should see ourselves as partners in progress so there won’t be clashes. We realise that Lagos State Emergency Maintenance Agency is a key organisation because they have the control system for all these disasters that happen. So, we place some of our officers there so that they will inform us as first-hand information is reaching LASEMA. So, we respond to the rescue mission quickly.
You were recently at a meeting with other state commanders and divisional officers in Abuja. What was the meeting about?
Our commandant-general wants to be aware of our challenges because he rose through the ranks and he is a practical man. So, whenever he observes some lapses, he calls us to Abuja, highlights those lapses, and gives us directives on how to solve the issues. In the meeting, he highlighted some challenges in curbing oil theft and ordered us to solve them. Based on these constant problem-solving meetings, our operations have been going great.
There were reports of an incursion of suspected terrorists into Lagos. What really happened and how is the NSCDC improving security and checking the movements of foreigners?
Because of the influx of northerners, people assume they want to start the Boko-Haram insurgency. What happened, in that case, was that those people were not able to farm in the North and they had information that they could always get one job or another in Lagos. Also, the 1999 Constitution does not prevent anyone from moving. So, we cannot stop people from moving from one place to the other. However, we put up effective monitoring of the activities of those people to know what they are doing. One of their activities is riding commercial motorcycles. The state government in its wisdom stopped commercial motorcycles because of a lot of issues, including pressures from hospitals on the high rate of accidents. What we are doing to improve the security situation is to ensure there is close cooperation among all security agencies. Our teams patrol Lagos, likewise our intelligence gathering. For instance, for a while now, there has not been any clash among the tribes. The security of Lagos State is becoming more effective despite the influx of people. Citizens have no reason to fear any invasion as long as Lagos is concerned.
You talked of intelligence gathering; how does the NSCDC do this and how effective has it been?
The first reason we are recognised as a Federal Government organisation is because of our intelligence gathering. Our intelligence gathering as far as Nigeria is concerned is second to none. Before we issue statements, we get clear facts. We are all over the place. We share first-hand information. However, it is one thing to give advice from intelligence gathering, but the bureaucratic nature and response rate towards information given is slow. Once it is slow, the action may have taken place. But intelligence is being gathered every time and being disseminated. The National Security Agency is getting to understand this, and developing some strategies to improve response rates.
Does the NSCDC feel threatened by the emergence of agencies like the Neighborhood Safety Security Corps, Amotekun, among others?
We are not threatened at all because the level of security we have in Nigeria is even too low compared to the population. The more, the better, as long as we are all doing things in the right direction and sharing intelligence. They are complementary to our efforts. We work together; we are not against the creation of any other agency. It is the credibility that the NSCDC puts into intelligence gathering and response to situations that distinguishes the corps. More so, we don’t have barracks, so we stay with the people. We have first-hand information.
Preventing pipeline vandalism is at the core of your duties and you claimed to have stopped it in Lagos. Are you saying the hoodlums just disappeared or what happened to them?
When you have effective policing, the perpetrators will run away. They have relocated from Lagos. This is because we won’t relent in our efforts. We arrest and prosecute immediately. We have prosecuted about 16 cases and confiscated 10 trucks in less than one year. We do not compromise. We work together with the Navy. One other interesting development in Lagos is that the pumping of oil into the pipeline has stopped. The Lagos axis of the pipeline is well protected. This pumping is from Lagos to Mosimi in Ogun State. We now pump into private depots. The way we police in Lagos has made all of them relocate. The new system is that the pumping will now be controlled to be within Lagos only.
Some NSCDC officials are said to be accomplices in pipeline vandalism. How do you react to this?
Workers are not spirits; there are always a few bad eggs. But since my arrival and with the riot act that the commandant general had read, we couldn’t have had bad eggs in our midst. If you get caught for any infractions, you are thrown out; nobody wants to lose their job now. Based on that, everyone is now more conscious and responsive to their duties. If we had cooperated with vandals, they would have still been in Lagos. But it is no longer business as usual.
As the elections approach, what is your message to Lagos citizens?
Lagos citizens should not live on unsubstantiated rumours. They should provide information to security agents. If they see something, they should say something. Security is our collective responsibility. We should all be security officers. Also, concerning the forthcoming elections, we expect peaceful conduct because we will not hesitate to arrest anybody who wants to disrupt the smooth running of campaigns and elections. We will adhere strictly to the law.
