The Federal Government is to set up a special security unit, dubbed Power Rangers to protect the nation’s electricity infrastructure.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stated this when he was guest of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.
“We have decided now with the Minister of Power to have what we call the power rangers,” Tunji-Ojo said, adding that the new unit will have operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps that will tackle vandalism of power installations across the country.
The minister said the government recognised the need for a sector-specific security solution to tackle the rising cases of power outages caused by vandalism,
“What we had before we came was the generalisation of national assets. But we said no, you cannot have one specific medication that can treat all illnesses.
“So you have to analyse 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,” he stated.
The minister said the decision was sequel to the success of the Mines Marshalls, which were introduced by the government in March 2024 to tackle security threats in the mining sector.
Although the creation of the Power Rangers has been confirmed, no date has been set for their official unveiling or launch, adding that “we’ve already agreed on the modus operandi and the offices are being screened.”
He said officers will be deployed to all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to protect power installations, adding that this is because “there is no state without a power infrastructure; it is just like the solid mineral sector.
“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 specialisation, look at a lot of considerations, even physical strength.”
