BY AUSTIN OYIBODE
At a pivotal public hearing in Abuja on Thursday, Senator Ned Nwoko sounded the alarm on Nigeria’s rampant crude oil theft, calling it a “national emergency” that demands immediate action.
Speaking as chair of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, Nwoko painted a dire picture of the economic sabotage and environmental destruction caused by the illicit trade.
“When I moved the motion that led to this committee, it wasn’t just about stolen barrels—it was about stolen futures,” he said. “Nigeria is bleeding resources, and our people are suffering for it.”
The session convened key stakeholders—including government officials, security forces, oil regulators, and community leaders—to examine the scale, root causes, and solutions to oil theft, a crisis that drains billions of dollars from the nation annually.
Nwoko cited widespread pipeline vandalism, illegal bunkering, and weak monitoring systems as major contributors to the crisis. He emphasized the need for sweeping reforms: “This is not about blame. It’s about dismantling a criminal economy and protecting what belongs to the Nigerian people.”
The committee, he said, is pursuing technical and forensic investigations to trace stolen crude oil across borders, including tracking illegal proceeds through global financial networks. Strengthening institutional frameworks, enforcing tougher penalties, and ensuring fairer distribution of oil wealth to host communities are among the committee’s top priorities.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, echoed the urgency of the situation. He announced that the 10th National Assembly is considering stiffer penalties for oil theft, including the possibility of treating major offenders as terrorists.
Other proposed measures include the adoption of compulsory digital metering, real-time monitoring of oil exports, improved inter-agency coordination, and increased corporate responsibility in securing oil infrastructure.
“The fight against oil theft is not just the government’s battle,” Akpabio said. “Oil companies must invest in surveillance technologies and secure our national assets.”
The outcomes of the hearing will feed into the committee’s final recommendations to the Senate in the coming weeks.
