Nigeria’s Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has announced the inauguration of a special security team, dubbed the “power rangers,” to safeguard power installations and infrastructure across the country.
This move is aimed at addressing the rising cases of vandalism which has led to frequent blackouts across the nation.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the “power rangers” will comprise officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and will be tasked with preventing the destruction of power infrastructure.
The minister noted the importance of finding a unique solution to this problem, citing the successes of the Mines Marshalls, which were established to tackle security challenges in the mining sector.
“The decision to set up the power rangers was influenced by the successes of the Mines Marshalls,” Tunji-Ojo said, adding, “What we had before was the generalization of national assets.”
He also said: “But we said No, you cannot have one specific medication that can treat all illnesses. So, you have to analyze every sector, the power sector, the water sector, the education sector, the health sector… and be able to create arms of Civil Defence under the same umbrella.”
While a launch date for the “power rangers” has not been announced, Tunji-Ojo revealed that the modus operandi has been agreed upon, and officers are being screened.
The team will comprise officers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“We are already in the process of onboarding those officers; we have to profile them, look at their capacity, look at their competence, look at their area of specialization, look at a lot of considerations, even physical strength,” Tunji-Ojo said.
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