On Wednesday, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria sought collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Katsina to address illegal petroleum smuggling.

The coordinator of IPMAN’s national task force, Ado Garba, sought collaboration when he led his team to visit the NSCDC headquarters in Katsina.

Mr Garba explained that the monitoring and surveillance task force was recently inaugurated nationwide to check activities of illegal oil bunkering, smuggling, pipeline vandalism, adulteration of petroleum products and other sharp practices in the downstream sector.

He said that part of the term of reference for the task force was to collaborate with NSCDC as a lead agency and other security agencies in sharing credible intelligence and other operations to address all forms of petroleum and adulteration sharp practices.

According to him, this visit aims to have a cordial collaboration between the committee and the NSCDC, to achieve set objectives.

He commended the NSCDC commandant, Jamilu Indabawa, for his leadership commitment to promoting safety and security for the state.

In his response, Mr Indabawa assured the task force of the NSCDC’s support and cooperation in achieving its set objectives.

He also highlighted the renewed strategies employed by the NSCDC in addressing sharp practices.

Mr Indabawa appealed to the public to support the command and the task force in ensuring security and safety in Katsina.

According to him, the command will not relent in providing adequate security.

(NAN)