We’ve prevented over three million barrels of crude oil theft in five years

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, said the federal government prevented more than three million barrels of crude oil from being stolen between August 2018 and January 2023.

Mr. Monguno said the crime was committed in Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as far as the Republic of Togo.

He said this at the Stakeholders Conference on Oil Theft and Losses in Nigeria, organized by the Special Investigative Panel on Oil Theft/Loss in Nigeria, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr. Monguno, a retired major general, said the security agency has started a series of intelligence-driven maritime security and uses the “Falcon Eye System” a high-tech intelligence Maritime Domain Awareness facility coordinated with the NSA.

According to him, the facilities and initiatives have facilitated the prosecution of more than 200 ships involved in maritime criminality and the recovery of about 11 million liters of gasoline and diesel over five years.

“I also directed that the Falcon Eye System – a high-tech intelligence Maritime Domain Awareness facility domiciled with the Nigerian Navy and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser is committed to addressing this emerging issue.

“The facility has between August 2018 and January 2023 facilitated the prosecution of more than 200 vessels involved in maritime criminality in Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to the Republic of Togo.

“In addition, 83 oil tankers involved in various crude oil and product thefts have been arrested, while the theft of more than 3 million barrels of crude oil has been prevented and 11 million liters of petrol and diesel have been recovered.

Crude oil theft is the biggest threat to the Nigerian economy

Mr. Monguno said attacks on oil production facilities have led to several shutdowns in several International Oil Companies in the country.

This, according to him, has caused a loss of revenue and by implication negated the government’s capacity to generate the resources needed to fulfill its statutory responsibilities to citizens.

“Currently, the theft of crude oil is perhaps the biggest threat to the Nigerian economy. Its socio-economic impacts include environmental degradation, health hazards and disruptions in the economic activities of host communities among other problems.

Nigeria is struggling to produce 60 percent of its 2 million barrels of oil a day

The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said that the country cannot produce 60 percent of the two million barrels of oil per day produced 30 years ago.

This, he said, was a result of the menace of oil theft and bunkering in the country.

According to him, the federal government hired private security companies in collaboration with other security organizations such as Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) and Tantita Security Nigeria to help increase oil production.

He said that since the collaboration, many oil theft camps and illegal bunker sites by oil thieves have been discovered in different parts of the Niger Delta region.

PREMIUM TIMES has reported how Nigeria lost $10 billion due to crude oil theft in seven months, and also, illegally closed four kilometers of illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal.

The chief executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, said the illegal oil connection line has been in use for nine years.

The federal government in its draft of the new fiscal strategy for 2023 to 2025 said that oil revenue is poor due to significant production shortages such as blockages due to pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.

In an effort to curb crude theft, the Nigerian government opened application in August to monitor the incident. NNPC awarded multi-billion naira pipeline procurement for the former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo.

In his words, the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP,) Barry Ndiomu, called for a deliberate conversation aimed at reforming the law that would give harsher penalties to culpable entities involved in oil theft.

Mr Ndiomu, a retired army general, who chairs the Special Investigative Panel on Oil Theft/Loss, said an “honest discussion” should be held so that the country can “break the code” and stop the “criminal enterprise”. “Oil thief

Speaking further, he said the menace of oil theft has had a huge negative impact on Nigeria’s crude oil production, resulting in output for 13 years below 800,000bpd.

He reiterated that strategic consultations have been held with state governments in the Niger Delta region and other critical stakeholders to that effect.