The House of Representatives has stated that the rate of oil thefts and other infractions is on the rise in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Chairman of the Special Committee on Oil Theft, disclosed this while condemning the act at a meeting with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd. in Abuja.
He noted that these infractions not only stopped with oil heads in the country but also included flow stations, loading and export terminals, and several others, adding that the opacity and non-transparency of regulatory activities at the nation’s crude oil export terminals were alarming.
He further noted that the meeting was to unravel the root cause of oil theft in the country and the possible solution to stop the menace.
“It is saddening to note that these infractions do not stop with the pipelines; daily breaches are also recorded at the oil well heads, flow stations, loading, and export terminals, among others.
“We are compiling the facts and figures. Instances, where approvals are hastily granted to vessels involved in crude theft just to cover official complicity, are reported.
“Incidents of undeclared liftings are noted, and all these and several other infractions, particularly in our offshore marine environment, contribute to the huge volume of crude oil theft being reported. He stated.
Similarly, Mr. Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC Ltd., stated that no fewer than 9000 infractions on its pipeline were recorded in one year.
He noted that between 2022 and to date, the corporation has deactivated 6,465 illegal refineries, while 4,876 illegal connections to a pipeline were removed out of the 5,570 that were discovered.
