Yakubu Busari
The Plateau State command of the NSCDC has war against fuel hoarders and those that divert the products meant for the state saying they will henceforth be treated as economic saboteurs and prosecuted as such when they caught.
Mr Solomon Olasup stressed that besides this current development those that are found guilty may forfeit the facilities and their equipment used for such crime that is anti-people activities which may include but not limited to buildings, machinery and vehicles deployed to perpetrate the crime.
The NSCDC state commandant, Mr. Solomon Olasupo made this declaration in a released in his statement issued at the weekend after his supervision to all the filling stations in the in Jos metropolis.
According to him, his assessment exercise to some of the filling stations visited in the state in company of the command Anti vandal squad, Operation and Intelligent Department of the Corps.
Olasupo warned those who hoard fuel or divert same products are not only enemies of government but that of the people who are the direct victims of this dastardly act.
He added that such perpetrators will be dealt with decisively in accordance with the provisions of the law.
Olasupo disclosed that the anti-vandal, Operation, Intelligent, Critical Infrastructure and Special Response Squad of his office have been mandated to mount surveillance and patrol across the state.
He noted that,”it is inhuman for anybody to divert or hoard fuel in this period when all hands must be on the deck to support the government efforts to improve the citizens’ welfare”.
The commandant explained that “It is not just an offence to hoard and divert fuel at this critical period; it is also inhuman, cruel and unjust to subject people to unnecessary hardship by creating artificial scarcity on a pedestrian reason of maximizing profit”.
He advised the general public to know that “Government will not fold its arms while some people are smiling to the bank through fraudulent means, stressing , what is even the value of money you make at the expense of fellow human beings’ comfort? He asked rhetorically.
Olasupo who said the command had also discovered that perpetrators of this economic sabotage hire facilities such as fuel dumps, tankers and other useful materials in the process of hoarding and diverting the fuel warned that such facilities may eventually be forfeited to the federal government when linked with such sabotage efforts.
The commandant added that such facilities will be seized and used as exhibits as long as the cases last while the possibility of getting such after the case is remote as the position of relevant laws on such misuse of resources for criminal activities is clear.
He then noted that aside the fact that such activities criminal were criminal and unlawful, they were also capable of endangering the lives and property of the residents especially during this period of Harmattan and dry season when just a little spark can start a big fire disaster.
