CISLAC condemns complicity of security agencies in oil theft in Nigeria

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has condemned the complicity of the security agencies, especially the military in Nigeria in the escalating rate of oil theft in the country.

The civil society group announced the criminal act led to the loss of a whopping $3.5-billion in the illegal business that has developed hydra-headed dimensions.

Speaking at a focus group discussion on the “Barriers and Bridges to Defence and Security Accountability in Nigeria on Monday, in Port Harcourt, Executive Director CISLAC, Mallam Auwal Ibrahim Musa-Rafsanjani declared that military and other security agencies involvement in oil theft remains a problem.

Represented by Adesina Oke, Board member of CISLAC, Musa-Rafsanjani, took a swipe against the armed forces for either turning a blind eye to or actively profiting from the illegal oil trade throughout the process that characterises oil theft.

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He declared: “There have been reports of soldiers protecting the “tapping points”, where crude oil is retrieved from illegally installed taps on the oil pipelines; of armed forces personnel turning a blind eye to, or indeed protecting, illegal bush refineries, and of soldiers soliciting bribes in return for the undisturbed passage for illegal oil transportations.

“Recent findings suggest that the issue does need to be investigated further and more data gathered to inform firmer conclusions and better-targeted policy recommendations. In 2021, Nigeria lost at least $3.5 billion revenue to crude oil theft, a figure that represents 10 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign reserves. Oil theft and pipeline vandalism threaten oil exploration and accruable revenue. In 2019, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced that it lost ₦159 billion to oil theft and pipeline vandalism.”

He advocated a way forward as states adapting to changing needs by prioritising civilian protection and setting clearer ground rules, in combination with other easily implementable measures.

“Defence and Security accountability layers must be built across three interconnected spheres: individual, community and the state. The absence of such infrastructure has exposed civilians to undue harm. This can be reduced by the strict adherence to rules regulating the conducts of those saddled with the responsibility to protect,” he further called.

He also urged the strengthening of sanctions that would hold perpetrators to account, incorporating the experiences and needs of civilian communities who suffer the daily consequences of the absence of accountability.

Discussants at the programmed all agreed that activities of artisanal refiners which have been the target of a recent war by the government constituted insignificant volume compared with what is stolen by the higher and more organised activities of top brass security agencies and their local and international collaborators. They agreed with Musa-Rafsanjani for the prioritisation of security protection infrastructure that must incorporate, the individual, community and state.

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CISLAC condemns complicity of security agencies in oil theft in Nigeria

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CISLAC condemns complicity of security agencies in oil theft in Nigeria