Senator Ned Nwoko of the All Progressives Congress (APC–Delta) has called for an expanded mandate to track, trace, and recover stolen crude oil proceeds within Nigeria and abroad.
Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Oil Theft and Sabotage, made the appeal on Thursday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on the committee’s progress so far. He revealed that forensic audits showed more than 22 billion dollars, 81 billion dollars, and 200 billion dollars remained unaccounted for across various audit periods.
“This is a national call to action. Nigeria cannot afford to continue losing trillions to corruption, inefficiency, and criminal networks,” he said. “I remain committed, alongside my colleagues, to ensuring accountability, recovery, and reform within the oil and gas sector.”
The senator explained that the Ad Hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft and Sabotage had presented its interim report before the Senate, revealing massive losses exceeding 300 billion dollars in unaccounted crude oil proceeds over the years. He described the situation as one of the most alarming cases of economic sabotage in Nigeria’s history.
According to him, the committee has made far-reaching recommendations to address the long-standing problem, including the strict enforcement of international crude oil measurement standards at all production and export points. He urged the Federal Government to mandate the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to deploy modern, tamper-proof measuring technology or return this function to the Department of Weights and Measures under the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment.
Nwoko also called for the deployment of advanced surveillance technologies, such as drones, to strengthen security efforts against oil theft. He further advocated the establishment of a Special Court for Crude Oil Theft to ensure the swift prosecution of offenders and their accomplices.
He emphasised the importance of fully implementing the Host Communities Development Trust Fund under the Petroleum Industry Act to empower local communities and reduce sabotage. The senator also proposed that abandoned oil wells be handed over to the NUPRC for allocation to modular refineries to boost local production and job creation, stressing that such measures were vital in curbing oil theft and promoting national economic stability.
