OPC condemns killing of DSS operators by pipeline vandals

The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has condemned the killing of 10 operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) by pipeline vandals in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The position of the Congress was made known on Thursday by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Otunba Gani Adams-led OPC, Yinka Oguntimehin.
Oguntimehin described the action of the vandals as “highly condemnable”.
“It is a brazen act which is injurious to the national psyche perpetrated by sub–human beings who are not fit to live. It is sad that some miscreants, who are being financed by a sinisterly powerful and deadly oil mafia, have put paid to the lives and brilliant careers of 10 wondrous and well-trained members of the Department of State Security Services”.
Oguntimehin pointed out that “the death of these men of honour at the point of service in such a gruesome circumstance is a pointer to the fact that the war against pipeline vandals is not a tea party’s affair which can be taken or approached with kid’s glove
“The death of the bright 10 security operatives, though sad and sorrowful, is a testimony to the fact that the war against pipeline vandals and protection of our common wealth should not be localised within the confine of the regular security agents alone”.
“This unfortunate event should kindle our sense of perception and reasoning and task patriotic feeling in us to always treat national issues without sentiment’
“The government must realise that oil pipeline vandalism has grown from being a past time of petty and tiny miscreants of the society. It has assumed an organised high level criminality dimension being controlled by powerful and blood-thirsty mafia who cannot be dislodged solely by the regular security agencies.
“It is high time the Federal Government stopped being unilateral in its effort at putting a stop to activities of vandals with the belief that only the regular-trained security agencies can do it.
“The recent, three months monitoring of the pipeline by private groups has proved to all that the engagement of the so-called irregular or the socio–cultural groups brought modicum of stability and sanity to pipeline vandalism. This is a pointer to the fact that the war against pipeline vandalism should not be restricted to the regular armed forces.
“As it is, the Federal Government should confront this dare devilry act of pipeline vandalism by involving both the regular armed agencies and the socio-cultural groups which have been tried and successfully monitored the pipelines without major calamity and waste of human resources like this”.
He called on the Federal Government to set up a dual joint action task force which should include the regular security agencies and the socio-cultural group to combat the deadly activities of pipeline vandals
He also urged the government to fish out the perpetrators of the gruesome murder.