RismadarVoice Reporters
July 2, 2026
The House of Representatives Special Task Force Committee on Oil Theft has called for tougher laws, specialised courts and stronger inter-agency collaboration to tackle crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism across the country.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Ododogua, made the call during a strategic stakeholders’ meeting held at the House of Representatives Complex in Abuja, where lawmakers and security agencies deliberated on sustainable measures to protect Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure.
The meeting brought together representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Directorate of Energy Security, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Participants stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal, institutional and operational framework to curb crude oil theft, safeguard critical national assets and improve accountability in the petroleum sector.
Representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser advocated an urgent review of existing laws on oil theft and pipeline vandalism, arguing that current penalties are inadequate to deter offenders given the huge economic losses and security implications of the crimes.
The NSCDC proposed the establishment of specialised courts to ensure the speedy trial of oil theft and pipeline vandalism cases, noting that delays in conventional courts weaken prosecution efforts and reduce the deterrent effect of the law.
The Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Army also backed the proposal for specialised judicial mechanisms. The Navy further recommended the installation of comprehensive crude oil metering systems across production facilities to accurately monitor output and detect losses arising from theft or operational inefficiencies.
The EFCC emphasised the need for preventive measures, including enhanced intelligence gathering, financial investigations, asset tracing and stronger collaboration among security agencies to dismantle criminal networks involved in crude oil theft.
Speaking at the meeting, Hon. Clement Jimbo said energy security goes beyond protecting oil infrastructure to ensuring affordability, accessibility, availability and sustainability of energy for Nigerians.
He expressed concern that increases in petroleum product prices are often implemented swiftly, while reductions are rarely reflected with the same urgency when global crude oil prices decline. He called for effective regulatory mechanisms to ensure consumers benefit from downward price adjustments and to promote fairness in the downstream petroleum sector.
Hon. Kafilat Ogbara also supported the proposal for specialised courts, saying speedy prosecution would strengthen the nation’s fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
The stakeholders agreed that stronger legislation, specialised judicial processes, improved metering systems, enhanced intelligence sharing and sustained inter-agency collaboration are critical to reducing crude oil theft, increasing government revenue and strengthening Nigeria’s energy security.
The meeting forms part of the House of Representatives’ ongoing efforts to advance legislative oversight and promote coordinated action to protect the nation’s critical oil and gas assets.
