Security has been beefed up at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as a result of the rift between the minister of state for petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru.
Kachikwu who doubles as the Chairman of the NNPC, blew the whistle on a $26 billion contract scam perpetrated by the GMD at the corporation, and the rift has reportedly increased security presence at the NNPC.
According to PUNCH, sources say police and army presence has been increased as a result of the expectation that protesters would picket the NNPC due to the nature of the multi-trillion Naira scam rocking the apex oil company.
A source at the NNPC said, “There have been soldiers at the NNPC since the Boko Haram threats of 2013.
“However, we received fresh reports that people may be coming to demonstrate at the NNPC, so we had to beef the security up around the NNPC.
“Also, the feud between both sides has caused some division at the NNPC. For now, visitors won’t be allowed to drive in, except they have special appointment or they are contractors and there are special identity cards given to contractors.”
The source also disclosed that there are snipers sitting atop the six towers of the NNPC.