By Etuka Sunday
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigeria Police have pledged to work together in a renewed drive to combat the perennial menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism across the country.
Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, stated in a release Tuesday in Abuja that the decision to reinvigorate the push against oil pipeline marauders was reached at the meeting between the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru and the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Adamu at the NNPC Towers.
The release said the renewed cooperation would consolidate the prevailing cordial relations between both entities in tackling the menace which has manifested in losses of millions of litres of petroleum products.
Receiving the Police boss at the NNPC Towers, Dr. Baru congratulated the Acting IGP on his appointment, noting that it was gratifying for him to have chosen the NNPC Towers as destination of his first courtesy visit since assumption of office.
The NNPC GMD assured that the corporation would work assiduously with the new IGP in pursuit of the mutual mandate of ensuring protection of the nation’s vast oil and gas assets across the country.
Dr. Baru seized the opportunity to commend IGP Adamu for the police’s quick response to the recent case of suspected collusion between some policemen and oil pipeline vandals in the Arepo axis, saying it was indicative of the determined commitment of the Police leadership to squelch the ugly menace.
In his response, IGP Adamu said that as the foremost provider of the means of sustenance of the Nigerian economy, it was natural for the police to have keen interest in the security and protection of NNPC’s vital oil pipelines and sundry facilities across Nigeria.
He pledged the commitment of the police force under his watch to seek fresh areas and strategies to strengthen the existing security cooperation between the NNPC and the Police.
