The House of Representatives Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft has called for the establishment of a special court to fast-track the trial of crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals, warning that outdated laws and weak punishments have emboldened economic saboteurs and crippled Nigeria’s oil production.
The call was made on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the committee to explore lasting solutions to the persistent menace of crude oil theft.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, said Nigeria’s existing legal framework is no longer adequate to tackle sophisticated oil theft networks, insisting that obsolete military-era laws and lenient penalties have failed to deter offenders.
He stressed that the committee would work with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other stakeholders to amend relevant laws without affecting the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
According to Doguwa, while the PIA provides the framework for doing business in the oil and gas sector, it does not address criminal offences associated with crude oil theft and sabotage.
He noted that unless obsolete laws are replaced with stronger legislation, courts would continue relying on outdated statutes that impose insignificant penalties on offenders.
The lawmaker also linked crude oil theft to Nigeria’s inability to meet its daily oil production targets, describing the crime as a major threat to the nation’s economy and security.
Doguwa, however, expressed disappointment over the absence of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) at the meeting, describing the agency’s failure to attend or send a representative as unfortunate and counterproductive.
He disclosed that the committee had directed its clerk to summon the commission to appear before lawmakers, stressing that the NUPRC remains a critical stakeholder in the fight against crude oil theft.
Beyond tougher penalties, Doguwa advocated the creation of a special court dedicated to handling crude oil theft and related offences, arguing that the conventional judicial process is too slow to effectively prosecute such cases.
According to him, prolonged trials often allow offenders to evade justice while criminal activities continue unchecked.
Committee member Hon. Cyril Hart also called for stricter oversight of oil assets, arguing that licence holders who fail to develop oil blocks within approved timelines should be regarded as economic saboteurs.
He further expressed concern over the ongoing divestment of oil assets to indigenous firms, warning that companies without sufficient financial capacity could struggle to maximise Nigeria’s estimated 38 billion barrels of crude oil reserves.
Representing the National Security Adviser, Director of Energy Security at ONSA, Goodluck Ilajufi, appealed to the National Assembly to strengthen punishment for oil thieves and pipeline vandals.
He lamented that after security agencies expend huge resources to arrest and prosecute suspects, courts often impose sentences that fail to serve as deterrents.
According to him, offenders sometimes receive prison terms with the option of paying fines as low as ₦100,000, making the prosecution process ineffective.
Ilajufi urged lawmakers to amend relevant provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, particularly sections dealing with tampering with petroleum infrastructure and petroleum product adulteration.
Also speaking, Assistant Commandant General (Operations) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), David Idowu, backed the proposal for a special court, describing weak legislation as a major obstacle in combating crude oil theft.
He recalled instances where prosecutors left court disappointed after offenders received punishments that did not reflect the seriousness of their crimes.
Similarly, CSP Idris Abdullahi Mohammed of the Nigeria Police Force’s Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering Prevention Unit reaffirmed the commitment of the Police to combating crude oil theft through sustained collaboration with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders.
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