The Nigerian Senate has begun Investigation into the menace of oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region and other oil producing Communities.
The investigation is to cover the role of security agents, militia groups, locals, oil company employees, and other suspects involved in illegal exploration of crude oil in the country.
The Upper chamber also asked its committees on Petroleum Upstream, Petroleum Downstream, Gas, Host community and Niger Delta to begin the probe.
This follows a resolution from a motion Titled “Urgent Need to Investigate the Incessant and Nefarious Acts of crude oil thiefs and the Actors “sponsored by Ned Nwoko (Delta North) and Co-Sponsored by Ede Dafinone (Delta Central) And Joel Onowakpa (Delta South)
In his lead debate, Senator Ned Nwoko said that despite the efforts of 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 for over fifty years, the Economic sabotage from the activities of crude oil saboteurs continues.
According to him, findings show that oil theft in Nigeria thrives due to collaboration between security forces, and other interest groups.
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He stressed that pipeline vandalism, oil bunkering, has caused Nigeria serious socio-economic crisis, adding that the situation is an intractable challenge to the country’s oil dependent economy.
He further added that 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.
In his contribution, the Lawmaker representing Oyo North, Buhari Abdulfati, lamented that the economic sabotage which has gone on for over 53 years has remained unresolved, as he warned that until stringent punitive measures are put in place, the menace may linger.
Also contributing, Senator Adams Oshomole says billions of dollars have been spent to safeguard these pipelines.
He urged his colleagues to summon the chiefs of air staff and naval staff to brief the house on efforts made so far to halt the situation.
He added that the government has borrowed so much to fund deficits and drastic measures must be put in place to stop saboteurs.
The motion was referred to the senate joint committee on Petroleum Upstream, downstream, gas, Host Communities, and Niger Delta to report back in six weeks
Editor: Ena Agbanoma
