The Nigerian Police and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have agreed to join efforts in a renewed bid to combat the perennial menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism across the country.
NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said in a statement that the decision for the two bodies to work together to combat pipeline vandalism 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 in Abuja.
The statement 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.
The NNPC chief used the occasion, to congratulate 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.
Baru gave the assurance 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.
He commended 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.
While responding, 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.
Adamu 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.
