Reps Panel pushes tougher penalties, special court for crude oil thieves

The House of Representatives Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft has proposed a review of Nigeria’s laws on crude oil theft to impose tougher penalties on offenders, including the establishment of a special court to fast-track the prosecution of oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

The committee made the proposal on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where lawmakers, security agencies and other stakeholders discussed measures to tackle crude oil theft and other forms of sabotage in the oil and gas sector.

Alhassan Doguwa, Chairman of the committee, said existing laws prescribing penalties for crude oil theft are outdated and no longer serve as a deterrent to offenders.

According to him, some of the laws still being used were enacted during the military era, leaving courts with little choice but to impose penalties that do not reflect the seriousness of the offences.

“We have been able to achieve some very remarkable progress in the course of our interface. We all agreed to work on the same page to address the existing legal frameworks and some of the bottlenecks affecting them.
Doguwa said.

“The global oil and gas economy is now in an advanced stage. Virtually all oil-producing countries are making progress because they have provided effective legal instruments to address their challenges. For this reason, we believe Nigeria should also review some of its laws”, he added.

He explained that while the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) governs the operations of the oil and gas industry, it does not address several criminal offences covered by older laws, which he described as obsolete.

“Unless we provide new measures, new laws and a new legal framework, the courts will continue to rely on these obsolete legislations in handling serious criminality within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector,” he said.

Doguwa said the committee would work with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other stakeholders to strengthen the legal framework for tackling crude oil theft, adding that the crime continues to affect Nigeria’s crude oil production and government revenue.

He said the committee was also proposing a special court to ensure the speedy trial of crude oil theft cases.
“If these cases continue to go through the regular court system, many will remain unresolved because of delays, while offenders escape appropriate punishment,” he said.

He further criticised the absence of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) at the meeting, describing it as unfortunate given the agency’s key role in regulating the sector. The lawmaker said the committee had directed its clerk to invite the commission to appear before it.

Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, represented by Goodluck Ilajufi, Director of Energy Security at ONSA, urged the National Assembly to strengthen existing laws, saying the current penalties are too weak to discourage crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

He said security agencies often spend huge resources arresting and prosecuting suspects, only for them to receive light sentences or the option of paying small fines.
“We need stronger laws that will serve as a real deterrent,” he said.

David Idowu, Assistant Commandant-General (Operations) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), also supported the establishment of a special court, saying it would ensure offenders and those behind the crimes are brought to justice more quickly.

Similarly, CSP Idris Mohammed of the Nigeria Police Force’s Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering Prevention Unit reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to tackling crude oil theft through closer collaboration with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders.