We Have Indentified Those Behind Crude Oil Theft

The Presidency has said the Muhammadu Buhari government has identified some Nigerians who are behind the theft of crude oil in the country.

Naija News reports that experts in the oil and gas sector have revealed that Nigeria losses about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day to crude oil thieves.

Speaking in an interview on Channel Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu said the oil thieves have been identified, arrested, and arraigned in court.

Shehu stated that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, on behalf of the federal government is prosecuting the oil thieves in court, adding that the government will see the case to a logical conclusion.

The presidential spokesman, who refused to disclose the identities of the culprits, said no Senator or any member of the National Assembly was involved in the criminal activity.

Recall that Monguno had in February 2023 said the federal government prevented over three million barrels of crude oil from being stolen between August 2018 and January 2023.

The retired Major General said the crime was perpetrated within Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) up to the Republic of Togo.

He said security agencies have embarked on a series of intelligence-driven maritime security and are using the “Falcon Eye System” a high-tech real-time intelligence Maritime Domain Awareness facility that is coordinated with the NSA.

According to him, the facilities and initiatives have facilitated the prosecution of over 200 vessels involved in maritime criminality and the recovery of about 11 million litres of petrol and diesel within five years.

He added that 83 oil tankers involved in various crude oil and product theft have been arrested, while the theft of over 3 million barrels of crude oil was prevented.