Senate to Probe Security Agencies, Others Over Oil Theft, Says Nigeria Lost N2.3trillion This Year
By Our Reporter
The Senate on Tuesday mandated its committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream, Downstream and Gas), Host Communities and Niger Delta Affairs) to carry out a thorough investigation on the security agencies over allegation that some of them may be involved in the use of sophisticated methods to steal the nation’s crude oil
Apart from security agencies, militia groups , the locals, employees of oil companies and other individuals are also to be investigated over the alleged oil theft.
The decision of the Senate followed the disclosure on Tuesday that Nigeria lost as much as N2.3trillion to oil thieves.
Senator Ned Munir Nwoko , Delta North, who made the disclosure had in a motion during plenary said that statistical data showed that issues of pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering were responsible for Nigeria’s socio-economic crisis.
Nwoko alleged that some bad eggs in the security agencies conspired with unscrupulous elements to carry out oil theft.
He however said that the efforts of the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military and other various security outfits to check oil theft have yielded good results.
Nwoko told the Senate, “The current collaborative efforts involving the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military, operations like Operation Delta Safe and Operation Dakartada Barawo, along with the contributions of various security entities, state and local governments, and International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the Niger Delta region have yielded positive results.
“These efforts have led to an increase in oil production, reaching 1.51 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2023.
“This figure marks an improvement from the 1.49 million barrels per day recorded in the same quarter of 2022 and is notably higher than the production volume of 1.34 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2022.
“Despite the efforts of certain military personnel and security agencies like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Services (DSS) in combating oil theft in the Niger Delta region, there are individuals within these institutions who engage in illicit activities.
“These individuals collaborate with unscrupulous figures within the oil industry to undermine the nation’s economy.
“Also observes that it has come to attention that oil theft in Nigeria thrives due to a troubling collaboration between security forces, militia groups, the local population, and certain employees within oil companies.
“These parties employ sophisticated methods to carry out theft from oil facilities located within the country. Given Nigeria’s vast oil and gas reserves, one would expect crude oil production to continuously increase, aligning with OPEC’s production quota of 1.74 million barrels per day.”
Senator Buhari Abdulfatai in his contribution said punitive measures should be taken to check oil bunkering.
He regretted that investigations have been carried out in the past but nothing came out of it.
“ We need to review our laws and take punitive measures against oil thieves”, he said
Senator Adams Oshiomhole in his contribution noted that oil theft has become an organised crime, adding that security agents lobbied their superiors to post them to oil producing communities..
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks said oil theft has impacted negatively on the nation’s oil production capacity.
He gave the Committees six weeks to carry out thorough investigations and report back.
The Senate on Tuesday mandated its committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream, Downstream and Gas), Host Communities and Niger Delta Affairs) to carry out a thorough investigation on the security agencies over allegation that some of them may be involved in the use of sophisticated methods to steal the nation’s crude oil
Apart from security agencies, militia groups , the locals, employees of oil companies and other individuals are also to be investigated over the alleged oil theft.
The decision of the Senate followed the disclosure on Tuesday that Nigeria lost as much as N2.3trillion to oil thieves.
Senator Ned Munir Nwoko , Delta North, who made the disclosure had in a motion during plenary said that statistical data showed that issues of pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering were responsible for Nigeria’s socio-economic crisis.
Nwoko alleged that some bad eggs in the security agencies conspired with unscrupulous elements to carry out oil theft.
He however said that the efforts of the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military and other various security outfits to check oil theft have yielded good results.
Nwoko told the Senate, “The current collaborative efforts involving the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military, operations like Operation Delta Safe and Operation Dakartada Barawo, along with the contributions of various security entities, state and local governments, and International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the Niger Delta region have yielded positive results.
“These efforts have led to an increase in oil production, reaching 1.51 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2023.
“This figure marks an improvement from the 1.49 million barrels per day recorded in the same quarter of 2022 and is notably higher than the production volume of 1.34 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2022.
“Despite the efforts of certain military personnel and security agencies like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Services (DSS) in combating oil theft in the Niger Delta region, there are individuals within these institutions who engage in illicit activities.
“These individuals collaborate with unscrupulous figures within the oil industry to undermine the nation’s economy.
“Also observes that it has come to attention that oil theft in Nigeria thrives due to a troubling collaboration between security forces, militia groups, the local population, and certain employees within oil companies.
“These parties employ sophisticated methods to carry out theft from oil facilities located within the country. Given Nigeria’s vast oil and gas reserves, one would expect crude oil production to continuously increase, aligning with OPEC’s production quota of 1.74 million barrels per day.”
Senator Buhari Abdulfatai in his contribution said punitive measures should be taken to check oil bunkering.
He regretted that investigations have been carried out in the past but nothing came out of it.
“ We need to review our laws and take punitive measures against oil thieves”, he said
Senator Adams Oshiomhole in his contribution noted that oil theft has become an organised crime, adding that security agents lobbied their superiors to post them to oil producing communities..
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks said oil theft has impacted negatively on the nation’s oil production capacity.
He gave the Committees six weeks to carry out thorough investigations and report back.
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