(SINL NIGERIA) President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has expressed commitment of the National Assembly to find solution to crude oil theft in Nigeria.
He emphasized that the legislature is considering stiffer penalties for oil theft, including terrorism charges for major offenders.
Senator Akpabio spoke while declaring open a two-day public hearing on the incessant and nefarious acts of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta in Abuja.
Akpabio, who spoke through the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, said the 10th National Assembly will not stand by while the country’s economy bleeds.
“We are prepared to strengthen laws, enhance oversight, and ensure that agencies responsible for protecting our oil assets are held accountable.
“Specifically, we will consider: Stiffer penalties for oil theft, including terrorism charges for major offenders. Mandatory digital metering and real-time monitoring of all oil production and exports. Greater transparency in crude oil lifting and revenue reporting. Enhanced collaboration between the military, police, NSCDC, EFCC, and international partners to track and intercept stolen crude,” he said.
He said the fight against crude oil theft cannot be left to government alone as such oil companies must invest in modern surveillance technology and secure pipelines.
According to him, host communities must see themselves as first-line defenders of these assets, not victims or accomplices. He said security agencies must demonstrate zero tolerance for complicity.
“As I declare this Public Hearing open, I charge all stakeholders to engage with the utmost seriousness. The recommendations from this session must lead to actionable, measurable, and time-bound solutions. Nigeria’s survival depends on it.
” To the criminals stealing our crude oil, your time is up. To the agencies tasked with protecting our resources, the nation is watching. And to this Ad-hoc Committee, the Senate expects nothing less than a robust, no-holds-barred report that will guide decisive legislative and executive actions. It is time to take back what belongs to Nigeria,” he said.
He commended the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Incessant Crude Oil Theft, chaired by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North), for convening the public hearing
“Nigeria’s oil and gas sector remains the lifeblood of our economy, accounting for over 80% of government revenue and 90% of foreign exchange earnings. Yet, for decades, we have watched in dismay as criminal syndicates—both foreign and domestic—continue to siphon our crude oil with brazen impunity.
“Recent reports indicate that Nigeria loses between 150,000 and 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft—a staggering hemorrhage that translates to billions of dollars in lost revenue annually.
“This theft is not a victimless crime. It directly undermines our economic stability, devalues the Naira, starves critical sectors of funding, and perpetuates poverty in oil-producing communities. Worse still, it finances illegal arms, fuels violence, and emboldens criminal networks that threaten national security.
“Let me be unequivocal, crude oil theft is an act of economic sabotage and must be treated as such. Those behind this criminal enterprise are enemies of the state, and they must be pursued, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law. We can no longer tolerate a situation where a few greedy individuals and cartels hold our nation’s wealth hostage while millions of Nigerians suffer” he said.
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