ABUJA — No fewer than 15 personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC have lost their lives over the years while fighting oil theft in the Niger Delta.
This was disclosed on Thursday when Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited donated a state-of-the-art Hydrocarbon, Maritime Command and Control Centre to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, as part of efforts to boost national security and the protection of Nigeria's economic assets.
The facility represents a significant leap in the technological capacity of the Corps to monitor and secure critical infrastructure in real-time.
As part of activities to mark this year's World Civil Defence Day, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Audi, unveiled various projects initiated through Public Private Partnership PPP at the Corps' national headquarters in Abuja.
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Apart from the Centre, other projects commissioned include the NSCDC Fire Station, a VIP Centre housing the Special Protection Unit donated by Zuma Energy Nigeria Limited, and a 24-unit staff quarters.
Audi emphasized the transformative power of data in national development, noting that the edifice is set to provide a substantial level of improvement to the operations the Corps embarks on regarding hydrocarbon and maritime security.
Professor Audi further explained that the center will not operate in isolation. "This centre is going to be interlinked with the National Security Advisor's Office and, of course, in sophisticated collaboration with other stakeholders like Tantita as regards the oil taps in the Niger Delta," he stated.
The facility is expected to foster an enabling environment for sharing credible intelligence among various agencies, ensuring that when information is verified, commensurate action is taken immediately.
Captain Waredi Enisuoh, Executive Director of Technical and Operations at Tantita Security Services, who represented the Managing Director, High Chief Kestin Ebimorbowei, described the partnership as "inevitable" and born out of a shared vision for national progress.
He noted that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu's vision to harness the country's full economic potential by strengthening security frameworks.
According to Captain Enisuoh, the centre serves as a powerful surveillance tool that extends the reach of the NSCDC far beyond its physical location.
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"It is to give us further eyes in the skies, further eyes on land, and real-time event management," Enisuoh remarked, noting that this is just the beginning of further technological support for the Corps' constitutional mandate.
When asked to evaluate the long-standing relationship between the private security firm and the NSCDC, Enisuoh provided a glowing assessment, rating the partnership a "ten over ten". He underscored the gravity of the collaboration by pointing to the heavy human cost of securing the nation's assets.
Captain Enisuoh revealed that at least 15 NSCDC personnel have lost their lives over the years while fighting oil theft in the Niger Delta. Highlighting this ultimate sacrifice, he declared: "If somebody in uniform is willing to die to keep you alive, I don't know how you are going to measure that".
These donations aim at eliminating illegal oil bunkering and securing the maritime value chain for the benefit of the nation.
