The Senate Ad hoc Committee on Crude Oil has met with Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to strengthen cooperation in tackling crude oil theft across Nigeria.
Led by its chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta), the committee described the meeting held Thursday in Abuja as a crucial step toward addressing the ongoing threat to the nation’s oil sector.
According to a statement from the Ned Nwoko Media Directorate, the session reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to working closely with security agencies to safeguard critical oil infrastructure.
Nwoko stressed the importance of intelligence sharing and operational coordination between the police and the legislature, adding that tighter security around oil assets is vital to curbing economic sabotage.
“There is 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,” he said. “By working together, we can develop effective solutions to this pressing issue.”
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to identifying sustainable strategies to end oil theft and described the meeting with the IGP as a major step in that direction.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) shows that between 2002 and 2025, approximately 353 million barrels of crude oil were stolen in the Niger Delta. That figure translates to 56.1 billion litres or about 1.2 million tanker-loads, each with a 45,000-litre capacity.
At an average price of $73 per barrel, the stolen crude is valued at $25.7 billion, or roughly ₦39.3 trillion in losses.
(NAN)