By Henry Umoru

ABUJA – The Senate has reaffirmed its commitment to combating crude oil theft, revealing that it is considering stiffer penalties, including terrorism charges, for major offenders.

Speaking during the opening of a two-day public hearing on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), declared that the 10th National Assembly would not remain passive while Nigeria’s economy suffers.

He stated, “We are prepared to strengthen laws, enhance oversight, and ensure that agencies responsible for protecting our oil assets are held accountable.”

Akpabio outlined key measures under consideration, including:

Stiffer penalties for oil theft, with terrorism charges for major offenders.

Mandatory digital metering and real-time monitoring of 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 emphasized that the fight against oil theft is not solely the responsibility of the government, urging oil companies to invest in modern surveillance technologies and secure pipelines. He also called on host communities to act as first-line defenders of these assets, not mere victims or accomplices. Security agencies, he insisted, must adopt a zero-tolerance stance against complicity.

“As I declare this public hearing open, I charge all stakeholders to engage with utmost seriousness. The recommendations from this session must lead to actionable, measurable, and time-bound solutions. Nigeria’s survival depends on it,” he stressed.

Delivering a stern warning, Akpabio declared, “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.”

The Senate President commended the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Incessant Crude Oil Theft, chaired by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North), for organizing the public hearing. He highlighted the importance of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, which accounts for over 80% of government revenue and 90% of foreign exchange earnings.

He expressed dismay over reports indicating that Nigeria loses between 150,000 and 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily to theft, resulting in 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,” he added.

Akpabio labeled crude oil theft as economic sabotage, demanding that perpetrators be “pursued, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law.” He lamented that past efforts to curb oil theft have been undermined by systemic failures, requiring urgent and decisive action.

He posed critical questions for the public hearing:

Who are the perpetrators? Militants, corrupt officials, international collaborators, or all three?

Why have current surveillance and security measures failed?

How are stolen crude oil shipments exported without detection?

What legislative and policy reforms can close existing loopholes?

Akpabio also urged the examination of the roles of regulatory agencies, security forces, oil companies, and host communities in either enabling or combating oil theft, stressing that the findings must lead to substantial reforms.