In a bid to confront the persistent menace of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, the Nigerian Senate is considering the introduction of stiffer penalties, including classifying major acts of oil theft as terrorism.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, made this known on Tuesday while declaring open a two-day public hearing on crude oil theft organized by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Incessant Crude Oil Theft, chaired by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North).
Akpabio said the 10th National Assembly is fully committed to halting the economic sabotage that continues to drain Nigeria’s oil revenues.
He outlined several legislative strategies under consideration, including mandatory digital metering for all oil production and exports, real-time monitoring systems, and tougher legal consequences for offenders.
“Specifically, we are considering stiffer penalties for oil theft, including terrorism charges for major offenders,” he said.
“We must also enhance collaboration among security agencies and demand accountability from institutions tasked with protecting our oil assets.”
He emphasized that oil companies must also play their part by investing in modern surveillance and pipeline security, while host communities should act as first-line defenders rather than accomplices.
The Senate President warned that the current scale of crude oil theft is no longer just an economic issue but a national security threat.
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He cited recent estimates indicating that Nigeria loses between 150,000 and 400,000 barrels of oil daily, translating to billions of dollars lost annually.
“This is not a victimless crime. It cripples our economy, weakens the naira, deprives vital sectors of funding, and worsens poverty in producing communities.
Even worse, it fuels armed groups and criminal networks,” Akpabio said.
He charged the committee and stakeholders present at the hearing to engage with urgency and purpose, stressing that actionable recommendations must emerge from the sessions.
“To the criminals behind this enterprise, your time is up. To the security agencies, the nation is watching. And to this committee, the Senate expects a comprehensive, no-holds-barred report to guide decisive action,” he added.
The hearing aims to identify the key actors involved in crude oil theft—whether local militants, corrupt officials, or foreign collaborators—and to interrogate the failures of existing security and regulatory frameworks.
Akpabio declared that oil theft should henceforth be treated as economic sabotage and a crime against the state, insisting that the National Assembly will no longer tolerate impunity in the sector.