By ANAYO OKOLI
UMUAHIA—ABIA State Government has accused youths from Ihie community in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of vandalizing oil pipelines and scooping petroleum products in Ukwa West area.
The Government advised the traditional rulers and leaders in the community to call the youths to order as the Government would not hesitate to deal decisively with any of them caught.
Speaking through the Commissioner for Petroleum and Solid Mineral Development, Chief Don Ubani, the government said despite several warning against pipeline vandalisation unscrupulous individuals and groups had decided to test the might of the Government.
He warned that Government had put in place security measures to deal with the issue, saying "any person trying to experiment with the pipelines would only be subjecting himself or herself to avoidable self-destruction."
The commissioner said security operatives had begun man hunt for the youths who vandalised pipelines and scooped oil at Umuaka-Asa in Ukwa West Council.
Describing the vandals as "heartless criminals from Ihie" Ubani said that the traditional rulers and leaders in the community had a social and moral obligation to call their youths to order.
Ubani also warned that "the NNPC pipelines that channels petroleum products from Alesa- Eleme in Rivers state to NNPC Depot at Osisioma has become sacrosanct that anyhoodloom who feels he could toy with it would only be irresponsibly exposing himself or herself to unquantifiable danger."
Vanguard Nigeria