Senate committee collaborates with IGP to tackle crude oil theft

The Senate Ad hoc Committee on Crude Oil has met with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to deepen collaboration in the ongoing fight against crude oil theft in the country.

The committee, led by its Chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta), emphasized that the visit on Thursday in Abuja was a significant step toward tackling the pervasive issue.

In a statement from the Ned Nwoko Media Directorate, the meeting was highlighted as a testament to the Senate’s commitment to working with security agencies to protect Nigeria’s oil assets.

Senator Nwoko stressed the urgent need for enhanced cooperation between the Nigerian Police Force and the Senate to address oil-related crimes effectively.

He specifically harped on the importance of improving intelligence sharing to combat crude oil theft and the need to adopt strategies to strengthen operational coordination between the police and the legislative body.

“There is the need to ensure tighter security around critical oil infrastructure, just as the Senate has resolved to support security agencies in curbing economic sabotage and protecting Nigeria’s oil assets,” Nwoko said.

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“By working together, we can develop effective solutions to this pressing issue.”

He concluded by stating that the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft remains committed to finding lasting solutions and that this meeting marks a significant step in the right direction.

The meeting comes in the wake of troubling data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

According to the report, between 2002 and 2025, approximately 353 million barrels of crude oil were stolen from Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.

This staggering volume is equivalent to roughly 56.1 billion litres or 1.2 million fuel tankers, each with a capacity of 45,000 litres.

If sold at the current average price of $73 per barrel, the stolen crude is estimated to represent a loss of $25.7 billion (N39.3 trillion) to the Nigerian economy.

The collaborative effort between the Senate and the Police Force is an attempt to stem this tide of economic sabotage and safeguard a crucial source of national revenue.