A special military operations has been launched by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the bid to stop petroleum pipeline vandalism.
The special military operation which is code-named Operation AWATSU has so far arrested 25 members of the vandalism game in Arepo area of Ogun State and parts of Lagos State.
Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, the Acting Director, Defence Information told Saturday Punch in an interview that the operatives of AWATSU have also seized a total of 50 vehicles belonging to vandals in Lagos. Further mentioning that proactive steps are being taken by the military to put a stop to vandalism in Lagos.
Following the killing of four policemen and 11 other officials of the Department of State Services last year by suspected vandals, the military in a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation arrived at the decision to maintain presence of the military force at the Arepo area.
Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar also told the news source that the call for establishment of special courts to try vandals in the country by the Chief of Naval Staff was in lieu of the efforts and arrests made by the military and emphasised on the rehabilitation of the military in protecting pipelines as adequate deployment of personnel to ensure protection of the nation’s pipeline had been done.