The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, FCT Command has warned commuters to desist from knocking down streetlights poles or risk prosecution.
The FCT Commandant of the Corps, Olusola Odumosu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN on Tuesday in Abuja.
Odumosu frowned at the growing rate of vandalism of streetlight poles by hit and run drivers in the territory, saying it needs to be contained.
“In case you see anybody knock down a street light pole, you can do well by taking pictures of their number plates since you can’t apprehend them on our behalf.
“Once such images or videos are sent to our contact lines or social media accounts, we will surely act on them immediately.
He said that the existing partnership with the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, will enhance prompt and accurate identification of such road offenders, noitng, “That is one of the essence of restrategising with FRSC and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) since they are the custodians of number plate registration.
“In case there are such incidents, we can track or trail any hit and run driver easily with information from their database.
“With this effort, even though we cannot totally eradicate vandalism of Critical National Asset and Infrastructure, CNAI, we can bring it to the barest minimum,” he said.
According to the commandant, it was imperative to hold vandalism suspects accountable for their crimes of destroying public infrastructure. “We should be able to hold whoever the driver is accountable before they are able to run away thereby, further prosecute them.
“There is a need to make scapegoats out of one or two road users who might feel that they can do anything at will such as the knock down of road infrastructure, without consequences.
“There is a need for us to entrench consequences for any of such actions so as to serve as a deterrent to other road users.
The commandant appealed to residents to complement the effort of the Federal Government by protecting public infrastructure.
