Reps seek special court to speed up prosecution of crude oil thieves

The House of Representatives Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft has called for the establishment of a special court to ensure the speedy prosecution of crude oil thieves, pipeline vandals, and other economic saboteurs, saying delays in the conventional court system have weakened the fight against oil theft in Nigeria.

The proposal was made during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where lawmakers, security agencies, and officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser reviewed existing laws and strategies aimed at tackling crude oil theft and related offences.

Chairman of the committee, Alhassan Doguwa, said participants agreed that many of the country’s laws governing the oil and gas sector are outdated and no longer provide sufficient punishment to deter increasingly sophisticated criminal activities.

According to him, allowing crude oil theft cases to pass through the regular court system often results in prolonged trials, enabling many offenders to evade justice. He stressed that a special court dedicated to such offences would ensure faster trials and more effective enforcement of the law.

Doguwa also said Nigeria must strengthen its legal framework to match global best practices in the oil and gas industry. He noted that continued reliance on laws enacted during the military era has slowed efforts to curb crude oil theft and protect the nation’s resources.

He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would continue to work closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other relevant agencies to eliminate crude oil theft, improve oil production, and boost government revenue.

The lawmaker expressed concern over Nigeria’s declining crude oil production, attributing it largely to persistent oil theft and pipeline vandalism. He said reversing the trend is essential to restoring investor confidence and improving the country’s economic performance.

Doguwa, however, criticised the absence of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission at the meeting, describing it as disappointing. He directed the committee clerk to summon the agency, insisting that its participation is critical to finding lasting solutions to the challenge.

Also speaking, committee member Cyril Hart said the committee’s responsibility goes beyond combating crude oil theft to ensuring that Nigeria’s oil assets are fully developed for the benefit of the country. He added that operators who fail to develop oil blocks within approved timelines should also be held accountable.

Representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also supported the creation of a special court, maintaining that stronger laws and faster prosecution would serve as a greater deterrent to criminals involved in crude oil theft.

For years, Nigeria has battled crude oil theft, illegal refining, and pipeline vandalism, particularly in the Niger Delta. The activities have continued to reduce oil production, damage critical infrastructure, pollute the environment, discourage investment, and cost the country billions of dollars in lost revenue.