By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, (retd) has called for the effective prosecution of oil thieves to curb the rampant economic sabotage crippling Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

The Administrator made the declaration while hosting the Senate Committee on Incessant Crude Oil Theft, led by its Chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko, at the Government House in Port Harcourt weekend

Vice Admiral Ibas stressed that weak punishment for offenders emboldens criminality, depriving the nation of critical revenue needed for economic and infrastructural development.

“Your presence here is both significant and timely. Crude oil theft strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s economic survival, undermining President Bola Tinubu’s reforms to boost oil production and fund national infrastructure,” he stated.

He commended the Committee’s mandate to investigate oil theft across producing states and terminals, expressing confidence that their recommendations would strengthen Nigeria’s economic base.

The Administrator highlighted Rivers State’s progress in reducing pipeline vandalism through

improved intelligence gathering and inter-agency coordination.

Ibas said that “as a major oil-producing state, we are committed to eliminating threats to production. Our goal is a secure, tech-driven monitoring framework to safeguard assets and boost output,” he said.

To tackle oil theft nationally, Vice Admiral Ibas urged “Strict Prosecution of Offenders – Ensure convicted oil thieves face deterrent penalties. Tamper-Proof Metering Systems – Fix faulty metering, which accounts for 40% of oil losses.

“Enhanced Naval & Security Funding – Strengthen the Nigerian Navy and maritime agencies. Global Surveillance Investment – Expand monitoring to backwaters and international waters, where large-scale theft occurs”.

In his response, Chairman of the committee, Senator Ned Nwoko affirmed the Committee’s resolve to identify and dismantle theft networks, both onshore and offshore.

“We need Rivers State’s support to end this menace. Big-time thieves operate in international waters, and we must collaborate to secure Nigeria’s resources,” he said.

The Committee, inaugurated three months ago, will submit actionable solutions to the National Assembly to sanitize the oil sector.

It is expected to immediately rollout digital surveillance in Rivers State. Close collaboration between the State and Senate Committee and then push for stricter legal consequences for oil thieves.

Vice Admiral Ibas reiterated Rivers State’s readiness to partner with federal stakeholders to protect national assets and restore Nigeria’s oil revenue potential.